The Trouble With Love
by Wildwoodluver
Summary: Nessie is all grown up and attending high school with her family. There she falls for a boy at school and Jake is crushed. He hasn't told her about him imprinting on her and is afraid of how she will react. Also old friends pay them a visit.
1. Chapter 1

Jake

I stretched myself across the Cullen's white couch, flipping through the channels at high speed. There was nothing on the TV that I wanted to watch but I desperately needed something to preoccupy my mind. The last hour before Nessie and her "siblings" came home from school always dragged on the longest. It was near impossible for me to think straight while she was gone and I found myself everyday relaying more and more on Esme and Carlisle to distract me, though they weren't much help.

Every moment of the day it seemed that Esme was doing something that related to cleaning, fixing, or decorating the house. I used my massive height to help her reach a high corner or assist her in hanging something but other than that she insisted that I just relax. Carlisle, when he was not at work, would read books that seemed way above my intellectual level so I couldn't really count on him as a distraction. Sure he attempted to get me interested in all these scientific and medical books he enjoyed so much but I realized I rather be worrying about Nessie then dying of boredom. It was very quiet in the house at this time. I had kept on a cooking show on the Food Network thinking that maybe it would tempt me into getting some food hence creating another distraction. But I wasn't hungry and I knew it was a pointless effort.

Truth was I wasn't worried that Nessie would get hurt, or that she would get into some kind of trouble at school. Her family looked after her very well and I knew she was perfectly safe, especially with her overprotective father hovering around at every corner. No, I was more concerned that she might find someone at school, who would obviously be instantly drawn by her beauty and grace, and that she would also take an interest. Although she was only seven years old, she had the body and brains of a 17 year old. She was too beautiful for her own good and I knew that I had made a mistake not telling her about the imprinting sooner. But it really wasn't my fault, it was Bella's.

I had wanted to tell Nessie that I imprinted on her two years ago, but her mother insisted that I wait and let her lead as close to a normal teenage life as she could. I should have told her to just mind her own business and to let me handle things, but no of course I gave into Bella's pleading and here I am nearly shaking with fury at imagining her with another man. Surely the guys at the high school noticed what a catch Nessie was and are trying their hardest to muster up the courage to ask her out.

Or perhaps all the guys are too intimidated by her family to actually pursue her or even better Edward would break any guy's neck who ever tried. I smiled at the thought that maybe Edward's over-protectiveness might actually become useful at fighting off the adolescent boys. Not only has the thought of Nessie dating other guy's been driving me insane but I have also been exerting much energy into coming up with the perfect way to explain to Nessie how I feel about. I was curious about how she would react when she knew that I had some bizarre wolf claim on her. Oh and that I am madly in love with her.

We had known each other since she was a baby and I have went from being her protector, her playmate, her gossip buddy, to her best friend. She tells me everything and I mean everything that she is feeling or thinking with not even a hint of embarrassment or hesitation. She trusts me and now I feel I have betrayed her by waiting this long to tell her the biggest secret that in turn affects both our lives. I desperately hope she will be understanding and love me back because I know rejection all too well. It had stung when Bella chose Edward over me, it had been a painful blow when she agreed to marry him, and it nearly killed me when she decided that as much as it hurt me, she wanted to become a vampire in order to secure herself with him forever. However, none of that would compare to how it would feel if Nessie were to reject my love and choose another.

I wanted to get her alone and in a quiet place, maybe out in the woods on one of our hunting trips. I would sit her down and say that I wanted to talk while taking her hand in mine. I've come up with a few ideas on how I would start such as, "Hey Nessie, so you know we have been friends for a long time, and you are the most amazing girl I have ever met. I'll always be here and I would do anything for you, you know that. There is something I have been meaning to tell you but your mother has been begging me to wait till you're older but I think you are old enough to know now…see there is this thing called imprinting… it's happened to Quil and Claire and to a bunch of other wolves in the pack…and well it's this thing…"

Suddenly the door burst open and in came seven vampires talking loudly and laughing at some joke Emmett had made. Bella smiled in my direction and little "hello's" and "hey there Jake" came fluttering my way. I nodded toward everyone being as polite as I could. Then I saw a pair of big brown eyes surrounded by copper curls and my heart sank. There was Nessie throwing aside her backpack and running toward me. I moved my legs over to give her room and she popped next to me while wrapping her tiny arms around my shoulders.

"Hey Jake! What have you been up to all day?" Her voice sung sweetly and if possible my heart sunk lower. I couldn't stop staring at those soft pink lips and that beautiful smile which made small dimples form in her cheeks. I realized then that I must look like an idiot just staring at her. Nice Jake.

"Um… nothing really just watched the Food Network and read a…a book," To be perfectly honest I couldn't even remember what I had done today. I was pretty sure I spent the whole day trying to find stuff to do and then just sleeping when I couldn't. I thought I was busted because she knew as well as anyone that reading books was just not my thing.

"Oh…well that's fun…but in my opinion the Food Network doesn't show any recipes that can surpass the wilderness."

She broke out into a mischievous grin and I immediately broke out in one too. Suddenly, my stomach seemed to catapult as I realized this was the opportunity I was looking for to tell Nessie. I felt very uneasy and she looked me over in concern.

"Hey Jake are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine, just realized how hungry I am. Let's go."

But before I could move I caught Edward whispering something to Bella. Damn mind reader. Bella then turned a bitter glance at me and moved toward us.

"Jake before you go could I speak with you?" I knew exactly what was coming as I shrugged and followed her into the kitchen.

"Alice, Emmett, Jasper could you give me a moment alone with Jacob please," Bella asked the three of them and they left, their faces appearing very confused.

"Jake what are you doing?"

"Going hunting."

"You know what I mean. This is not the right time and you know it. Wait another year and then tell her. She's only had a few months in school and the last thing she needs now is to have…"

"Stop it Bella. I am getting so tired of you preventing me from telling her this. She has the right to know it's been seven years! I can't keep worrying that she is going to find someone else. I know you keep telling me that you won't let that happen, but I can think of a few vampires in this house that wouldn't mind if I she dated someone other than me."

"Jake you know Rosalie would never do that!"

"I'm not talking about Rosalie Bella."

"Then who…you don't seriously think that Edward would do something like that!" As I arched my eyebrow her response was to stare at me; opening and closing her mouth as if she was trying to say something but obviously having trouble deciding what.

"What Bella you seriously think Edward wants me to be with your daughter. You see the way he stares at us when me and her are together."

"That's only because he can read your mind which I'm sure is not exactly full of things a father wants to hear being thought about his daughter. Oh don't give me that look I know exactly how your mind works Jake. Nessie is our daughter and if you want my blessing, along with Edward's you are going to have to do things our way. I do not want you saying anything about imprinting to her at least for another month."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Another month! Bella who knows who she will find by then!"

"Jake trust me both Edward and I along with the rest of the family are trying our best to keep any boy that shows the slightest interest in her at bay. Trust me Edward doesn't want Nessie dating any boy at that school especially since he can hear every disgusting thing they think about her. I honestly didn't think boys that age had such repulsive thoughts but you should hear some of the things Edward tells me. Believe me he is doing everything he can to keep them away from her."

I felt a little more at ease but still couldn't believe Bella was making me wait a whole month. Doesn't she realize how much keeping this from Nessie is killing me? I sighed and nodded my head as I started back to the living room.

"Thank you Jake," I heard Bella whisper behind me. Nessie stood ready to go with a weary smile plastered on her beautiful face.

"Is everything ok?" She asked, looking back and forth between Bella and me.

"Yeah perfect let's go."

We started out slow, just racing each other through the forest, catching a deer or two. We didn't go too far from the house which was fine because I wasn't really that hungry in the first place. It felt like there was this big gaping hole in the pit of my stomach that was growing bigger and bigger every second I didn't tell Nessie. It was obvious that she noticed something was wrong but she didn't say anything. Every now and then she would hold my hand and smile at me, raising her eyebrow as if to persuade me to tell her what was on my mind. I didn't budge and eventually she couldn't take it anymore.

"What's wrong Jake?"

"Nothing's wrong. Just tired."

"Tired? From what watching the Food Network?"

"Yeah…well no…I mean just tired from worrying about you all day."

"Worrying about me? Why would you worry? I am half vampire you know and surrounded by other vampires so there really isn't much danger."

She smiled half-heartedly, trying to understand what I was saying. She must have thought I was such an over protective fool, which is true, but she didn't understand exactly what I was worrying about.

"I know that. I know your strong Nessie and I know you can take care of yourself…it's just…" I was so close to giving in. Telling her how I feel and what I was actually worried about. We were far enough away where no one could hear us or read our thoughts. I imagined how good it would feel to get off my chest. I imagined the smile that I hoped would break out on Nessie's face when I told her how I felt. And I imagined her saying the three words I have been dreaming she would say since I laid eyes on her. But then Bella's words came into my mind and I knew she was right. I had nothing to worry about and I wanted Nessie to live life as close as possible to normal.

"Then what are you worried about?"

I took a deep breath. "Nothing Nessie, I guess I'm just being stupid is all."

"You sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure. You ready to go?"

"Yup, you wanna race home?" She raised a perfect eyebrow and started running even before I could answer. I laughed and prayed that Nessie wouldn't be thinking about what I had said when she got home.


	2. Chapter 2

Jake

When we got back to the house it was obvious that Nessie was trying to figure out what was worrying me so much. But to my surprise Bella didn't look angry, she was actually smirking. She was probably grateful I stopped myself from saying anything. I gave a weak smile in response and sat on the sofa next to Emmett.

He was watching ESPN, looking engrossed in a football game. Usually I would be just as interested in it but my mind could not focus on something as trivial as sports. Especially since I knew I could play much better than any professional out there. Nessie once again sat herself extremely close to me on the couch and placed her head on my shoulders.

"Jake." I heard my name whispered through her lips. Not that there was any point to whispering in this house but I guess she didn't want to distract Emmett. I looked down at her and to my surprise she looked worried.

"What's wrong?"

"Um…I think I lost my locket on our hunt. I had it on me when we caught the first deer but it must have fell off after," Her eyes looked so worried, as if I was going to scold her for losing a necklace. I suppose it has more meaning to her since it was a gift from her parents but I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult for me to find. "Don't worry I'll go back out and look for it."

"Are you sure? I'm so sorry Jake I'm so careless. I should have taken it off before we went."

Her anxiety was killing me. I hated when she blamed herself.

"Seriously Ness it's fine I promise. I won't even mention it to your parents." Not that they probably already didn't know. She gave me an appreciative smile as I walked out the door.

It didn't take long for me to find where we were before. I could still smell traces of Nessie's wonderful scent on the trees and ground. Now all I had to do is look for something shiny. As I quickly scanned the ground I suddenly felt a queasy, sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. My whole body stiffened as I realized there was another scent mixed in with Nessie's; a scent I knew all too well. It was a vampire's scent; sickly sweet and disgusting. I had grown practical immune to the Cullen's smell so it didn't bother me much but this was definitely not one of them.

Quickly, I slipped my shorts and sneakers off. Then I could feel the tremor spark through my spine as I transformed into my wolf form. It is much easier to pick up and remember scents when I'm a wolf so I sniffed everything I could, trying to memorize the smell. Whoever it was had definitely disappeared however that still didn't appease my discomfort. The only vampires that should be anywhere near here would be the Cullen's. What purpose could any other leeches have around here? Wouldn't Alice have seen any visitors coming? These thoughts rummaged through my head as I looked for any more clues as to who it might be. As I sniffed the surrounding bushes, I saw a glint of light and there was Nessie's locket laying next to a shrub. I phased back to my human form and put my clothes back on. Grabbing the necklace I raced home, eager to hear any theories the Cullen's have on who this vamp might be.

Once Nessie saw the locket dangling between my fingers she let a big sigh and ran over to hug me. I then fastened the locket around her neck and went to find Edward and Bella. Carlisle was sitting at the dining room table with Esme as they discussed redecorating their bedroom.

"Hey Carlisle sorry to interrupt but there's something important I have to tell everyone. Can you call a meeting?"

Carlisle looked concerned but agreed. He raced from the room telling everyone to join us around the large dining table. Alice skipped over to the chair next to me on the left and Nessie sat on my right.

"What's this about Jake?" She looked seriously concerned. I didn't want to worry her so I tried to think of how I was going to tell everyone what I smelled without making it out to be a big deal.

"Don't worry. It's nothing too serious but I just think everyone needs to know."

That apparently didn't make her feel any better because she continued to stare at me in concern. Maybe she thought I was losing my mind. Maybe I was. Everyone found their seats and joined Nessie in looking intently at me. I didn't like it one bit so I focused on the wood table in front of me as I spoke.

"So I was in the woods looking for Nessie's locket, which I found, but while I was out there I picked up a scent. It was a vampire I'm certain. I don't know who it was or why he or she was so close to this area but I just thought everyone should know. I didn't think we were expecting any of your friends back here but maybe I'm wrong."

I looked over at Alice who suddenly rushed out of the room. I had forgotten that she couldn't see the future clearly when I was around. This sent a wave of panic through me. What if someone was coming for us and she missed it. Perhaps the Volturi were here or some other unfriendly class of vampire that we wouldn't see coming. Alice was back in what seemed like five seconds, looking very calm.

"I didn't see anything. Whoever it was I don't think meant any harm. Maybe they were just curious or looking for food but I'll keep my distance from you just in case."

I felt better but not completely satisfied. I didn't know why but I felt like something dangerous was coming. Not like I was planning on telling any of them that. They would definitely think I had lost my mind. Nessie looked like she felt better too, which was most important. She yawned and clearly was ready to sleep. She kissed everyone goodnight before retreating to her room in Edward and Bella's secluded cottage. I insisted that I accompany her there just until she gets inside. Then I'd wound up falling asleep under her window. Nessie knew I worried about her but she didn't know the extent of it. She didn't know how difficult it was for me to fall asleep every night because I feared for her safety. I loved her with all my heart and I could hardly wait for the day when I'm able to tell her how I feel.


	3. Chapter 3

Nessie

By January I felt very comfortable around my new friends and was getting much better at ignoring the gossip and stares. My family and I formed our story, me being my father's biological sister and all of us having been adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. Everyone, except me of course, was dating their partner. Most found it very strange but after seeing what we look like and realizing that we aren't in the least bit like everyone else, the speculation ceased. We went to Westcreek High School, which was a couple town's over from Forks. Since my family has already pretended to be students at Fork's High School, they couldn't go back there just yet. Though I'm sure the expression on the staff's face if my parents, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper walked through the doors, looking no different in seven years, would be priceless.

I had a few close friends that for the most part were nice. Danielle, a very pretty girl with long blond hair who just adored attention, was my first friends here. Apparently I got some attention from the boys in school so my dad thinks that's part of the reason I was accepted so quickly into her little group. Tara, a tiny girl with long brown hair that's always thrown up into a ponytail or low bun, is Danielle's closest friend but usually just keeps to herself.

Then there's Brianna whose dark hair and practically black eyes make her very intimidating even to me. She has some serious attitude problems and likes to start drama, but tries very hard to fake politeness when around me. I haven't got a clue why. They all look at me like I'm some jewel to their collection; as if I've been friends with them since grade school.

My father is always reading their thoughts and letting me in on what their real motives are. Danielle for instance likes to use me as a way to get guys attention. She thinks that since, as she believes, practically every guy in school stares at me at least once a day that surely one of them will take notice of her too. Tara and Brianna are nice to me in person, but are a bit jealous of the attention Danielle gives me. I'm sure I could probably find some less catty friends in this school but I didn't want to go through that venture again.

When I first came here everyone was terrified of me; probably not as much me, more my family. It took a whole month of starting up conversations with random people in class and then watching them freeze up or stutter when they spoke. Those were the days I was especially grateful for Jake being around after school. Then two months ago Danielle and I were partnered up for an English project and she began to see that I wasn't as scary or intimidating as the rest of my family.

Guys were less convinced. Although I began to notice their glances, not one of them had the courage to come over and speak with me, even when I was alone. Nonetheless, it was very amusing to see their faces when I caught them staring. My family did everything in their power to prevent any boy getting even a foot from me. They just worry that I'm going to get hurt or accidentally reveal our secret. Then I always throw back the question of how come I'm allowed to have girl friends, there's just as much risk. Silence always follows and I know I'm right but it doesn't change their minds. Their lack of trust offends me. Luckily I'm the only Cullen in my fifth period Biology class and it also happens to be the place where the cutest guy in school sits next to me.

Corey Parker is the school quarterback and has a face and body that could easily pass for part vampire. I try not to smile whenever I see him looking at me but I rarely succeed. For the past couple weeks he's actually tried to start up conversations with me but I've been told several times by my faimly not to speak to any guys. He asks me about the weather or what time the class ends and I've been giving him straight up answers, thwarting his attempts. Today however he decided to try a different approach. I saw out the corner of my eye, him scribbling on a piece of notebook paper; I figured he was taking notes. Then he pushed the paper my way. On it read:

Hey Nessie since you won't talk to me I was hoping maybe you might write.

How was your day?

I honestly didn't know how to react to this. I knew my family would be furious but I couldn't really find any part of me caring. This was my life and if I wanted to talk to a guy I could. Besides I wasn't actually breaking any rules since my parents didn't say anything about writing to boys. I wrote back,

Hi Corey sorry about that. I guess I'm a little shy. My day was fine so far. How was yours?

Mine was pretty boring until now. So why don't you tell me a little about yourself. All I know about you is that your incredible gorgeous

and on the mind of just about every one of my friends.

Sure, Sure well what do you want to know?

It continued on for the entire class period as he asked me questions about my family, what I did outside of school, and if it was true that Brianna got a nose job. When the bell finally rang he said goodbye and winked as he headed out the door. My heart was fluttering and I couldn't stop smiling. However that abruptly ended when outside the classroom I was greeted by Rosalie and my father. Apparently Corey was thinking about our conversation because the look on my father's face was not pleasant. Rosalie's wasn't much better so I assumed he filled her in.

"Hey dad, Rosalie, what's up?" I spoke a little too casually and they just stared at me in frustration.

"How could you?" Rosalie fumed.

"What? I didn't do anything wrong."

"Nessie you told him way too much. You're not even supposed to be speaking to boys!"

"Well I wasn't speaking Rosalie, I was writing. And I didn't give anything away so relax"

"Relax! Do you know what would happen if you let anything slip about what we really are?" Rosalie is always the most paranoid about people getting suspicious because she just despises always moving around.

"We would have to move…"

"Yes and I don't want to do that again!"

"Not only that Nessie but the safety of the entire family and Corey would be at risk. You have no idea how serious this is," My dad pressed on.

"I know I know! Trust me I won't tell him anything important, I know what I'm doing."

"I don't think you do! You shouldn't even be talking; oh I'm sorry I mean writing, to him. It's none of his business what you do outside of class and it needs to stay that way," Rosalie responded.

"He's not the type of guy you want to get to know Ness believe me. His mind is even worse than the average boy in this school. I don't want you talking or writing to him anymore," My father had calmed down a bit but he still had his real serious face on and I knew he meant it. But I couldn't stop thinking about him. I rolled my eyes at the two of them and walked ahead toward the cafeteria.

Already at the table with their trays of untouched food were Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and my mother, who all had Calculus together. While I got in line for the meal that I probably wouldn't eat, Edward and Rosalie joined me quickly and insisted on continuing the conversation. I tried my hardest to drone them out but it wasn't easy. They told me to sit with them today so they could drag it on even longer so I went over to Danielle's table and explained that I was sitting with my family and that I'd be back tomorrow. They were a bit disappointed but didn't ask questions, yet something about Danielle's expression left me feeling like she suspected something was up. When we finally sat down my father filled everyone in on how I was passing notes to Corey and they were none too pleased, especially my mother.

"Nessie you are never to speak to him again. If he continues to talk to you, just turn your head and ignore him. Trust me it works." My parents exchanged one of those weird looks, whatever that was about.

"What if I don't want to ignore him? What if I like him and want to spend time with him outside of school? "

"That's not an option. I forbid it Nessie. He's human! If you touch him for even a second you could accidentally use your gift and show him what you're thinking. How do you suppose he would react to that?"

"Oh please mother I know how to control my power! I've gotten really good at using it only when I really want to and you know it."

She looked very frustrated and I couldn't understand what the big deal was. So what if he's human? I'm part human. It's not like I'm planning on having him as a snack.

"I know that Renesemee but you can't take the chance. It's bad enough you associate with those girls over there. The blond is so perceptive sometimes it's scary."

"Reminds me of you," I heard my father whisper to my mother. They giggled and began that weird gazing into each other's eyes for eternity thing. EW, okay this is exactly why I don't sit with them. So much love at one table when you have no one can be nauseating. I sat back in defeat and picked at the crust of my pizza. I was rarely ever hungry at school because of all the hunting Jake and I do. It made my friends believe I had some kind of eating disorder and they try to follow suit. Luckily they always cave because they'd probably starve to death if they tried to go as long as I did without food.

I hated being treated like a child. I was technically the same age as my parents but I was being talked down to as if I was three years old. The restrictions and secrets my family had to go through was enough to make me consider giving up this whole high school thing and just staying cooped up in the house with Jake. That would actually be pretty awesome except that my parents would never go for it and it's already too late.

By the end of lunch I came to the conclusion that as long as I was careful and didn't tell Corey anything really specific about my life, then there was nothing wrong with speaking to him. I just had to think of a way to not let my family find out. Now there's a lost cause.

The end of the school day was finally here and I could not wait to get home and see Jake. He was my true best friend and I knew that he could make me feel better in an instant. In the car I was debating whether or not I should tell him about Corey. He would surely understand wouldn't he? The more I thought about it the more I believed that he might actually be just as upset about it as everyone else. He usually was on my side whenever I was arguing with my parents but I think even he would disagree with me this time.

When we got in the house, Jake was stretched out on the couch taking a nap. On any other day I would have let him sleep but right now I really needed him to make me feel better. So I ran over to the couch and climbed on top of him, wrapping my arms around his warm body; the contrast between our skin always felt amazing.

"Nessie let him sleep," My mother obviously really cares about Jake. They were best friends before I was born, and still remain that way now.

"Oh please mom, he's had all day to sleep. Wake up Jake," I whispered in his ear. He began to stir as I rubbed up and down his arm.

"Mmmm… whoa!"

He sat upright; knocking me fell flat on the floor. I began to giggle.

"Oh my gosh Ness I'm so sorry, you scared me," He helped me up as I continued to laugh.

"It's fine Jake. Sorry to wake you but I thought we could go hunting again." My mouth pulled up into the sweet smile I knew he could never say no to.

"Yeah sure! You have to fill me in on all the high school drama your friends are starting." Jake knew all about the girls and he found their scandals and tactics really amusing. We were heading out the door when my mother cleared her throat. That's when I noticed it again. The strange look exchanged between her and Jake. It only lasted a split second but it was like she was telling him something or warning him. What I wouldn't give to have my father's gift for just one day.


	4. Chapter 4

Nessie

I pressed my hand against Jake's cheek and showed him what happened today in school, leaving out Biology and everything that followed. There's the rumor Danielle is spreading about Brianna and her nose, and then how Tara and her boyfriend Pete had a messy breakup. Jake found it so amusing, and to be honest so did I. We took our seats next to an old tree stump deep in the forest. It's the perfect place to discuss high school drama and teacher's pathetic attempts to prepare us for the real world.

"Not once in school did I learn what to do if you become a werewolf."

I couldn't help but smile. I knew Jake used to have some resentment for becoming a werewolf but he said he got over it when he met me. "How else would I have kept up with you?" He would say every time I asked him about it. Sometimes it was so easy to be around Jake. He understood how I felt and if he didn't he would always try to. As I laid my head on his shoulder, he wrapped one of his arms around my waist and held my hand with the other. I moved my right hand over his chest and felt his heart beat, it was pounding very fast.

"Jake are you okay? Your heart is racing. You're not still tired from running are you?"

I waited for his answer but there was only silence. Slowly, I lifted my head to see that his eyes were shut and his brow creased. It looked like he was concentrating on something really hard.

"Jake? Jake what's wrong?"

He opened his eyes and looked right into mine. It was then that I noticed how frustrated he looked. Like he wanted to say something but couldn't get it out. Now I was getting annoyed, what wasn't he telling me? I tell him everything and now he's keeping something from me?

"What's wrong? Please Jake this is killing me. Just tell me what's bothering you, I can help."

But he said nothing. He just continued to stare into my eyes, as if looking for the answer there. I placed my hand back on his face and showed him how much I needed him to talk to me. How much I wanted him to trust me. Now more than ever I needed his trust because I didn't have anyone else's. He took my hand from his face and held it to his heart. I didn't understand what was happening and to be honest it was really scaring me.

"Jake. Please."

"Nessie...I have to tell you something."

Finally we were getting somewhere. I nodded for him to go on but once again he struggled for words.

"I…I…I want you to know…" All of a sudden he stiffened and my hand was getting squeezed a little too tightly. His eyes were alert as he sniffed the air.

"Jake what is it? What's wrong?"

"It's back. The vampire I smelled the other day."

He stood in a protective stance in front of me, looking around in every direction. Then he spun to face me, taking my shoulders.

"Ness I have to go into my wolf form, just stay close to me okay?"

I nodded and turned around so he could take off his shorts. I heard the familiar sound of Jake transforming and then felt his tail run across my back. As I turned around he was sniffing every inch of the ground and the surrounding bush's. Personally I didn't see what the big deal was about a vampire being close. They were probably just some nomads looking for a lost hiker or something. Not that I felt it was right to kill innocent people but Jake was acting like_ I_ was in some kind of danger. No lone vampire stood a chance against both of us.

Jacob than turned towards me and gently nudged my back; I guessed that he was telling me it was time to leave. I nodded and began to run, watching Jake match my pace a few feet to my right. It only took a couple minutes to get back to the house. He stayed in the trees in order to change back as I walked through the door.

"Mom! Dad!" I called through the house. Rosalie and Emmett were on the couch talking.

"What's up Ness?" Emmett asked.

"Smelled the vampire again. Definitely the same one from before." I jumped when I heard Jake's voice right behind me.

"Oh please, I doubt there's anything to worry about. Besides Alice has been keeping her distance from you and looking out for anyone. She would have said something." I could tell Jake was not too pleased that Rosalie wasn't taking this more seriously. Although I agree with her, I didn't want to hurt Jak'es feelings. Just then my parents came walking down the stairs, holding hands, smiling about something. Then my mom noticed Jake's expression and became very serious.

"Jacob is everything okay?"

"No it's not." He gave a stony look over at Rosalie. "The vampire's back. I know it might not seem like something to worry about but when I was just sniffing around out there I swear it's just so familiar."

"Yeah from a couple days ago stupid," Rosalie snapped.

"No I mean I think whoever it is, they've been here before…a while ago."

Everyone exchanged looks; me being the only one out of the loop. The rest of my family must have heard us because they made their way into the living room.

"Alice have you seen any visitor's coming?" Jake asked.

"Nope and I know who you think it is but you're wrong. I've been paying extra close attention to the Volturi and Aro hasn't ordered anyone over here."

"Maybe he's not the one who made the order."

"Jacob trust me I would have seen it." He then stomped out of the house looking very irritated, probably because no one was taking this as seriously as he was. I felt terrible but when I went to go after him my mother stopped me.

"Give me a second to speak with Jacob please." I let her go but then something hit me. Was she going to tell Jake about Corey? That is so something she would do, telling him my business as if it has anything to do with her. Ugh. I made it look like I was heading to the kitchen, but then I quietly slipped out the back door. Obviously my dad was too preoccupied with talking to the others, because he didn't stop me. I looked around and then heard my mother's scolding tone; this wasn't good. I peered around the corner of the house and there they were having a very serious conversation.

"I don't care Jake this has got to stop. You're freaking her out and she doesn't need that right now. I get that you're worried for her but she's not a child anymore. She can take care of herself."

"I know she's not a child anymore Bella thank you. She's part vampire yes, but that won't mean anything if an _actual_ vampire attacks her."

"Who is going to attack her Jake? Besides when is she ever alone? You're always with her when you go hunting. All I'm asking is that you relax and not give so much away. It may not be obvious to her now but everyone else can tell and sooner or later she will be able to as well."

"Sure, Sure." He started to walk away but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"One more thing Jake, I know what you were about to say to her today while you were hunting. Edward read her mind and he says she getting suspicious. We agreed that now isn't the time so please keep your promise."

Jake just nodded and the next thing I knew they were both heading in my direction. I ran inside as quickly as possible, still not able to fully take in what I had just heard. As I tried to get my thoughts together, Jake's hand appeared on my shoulder. He took a seat next to me at the kitchen table now placing both hands on my shoulders.

"Listen Nessie, I think I'm just over reacting about this whole vampire thing. It's probably nothing so there's no need to worry."

All I could do was smile; I just wanted to get away from everyone. I needed a place to think things through; I couldn't believe what I had heard out there. It was much worse than what I thought; my _mother_ was behind Jake's weird behavior. She wasn't letting him tell me something important; they were both keeping a huge secret from me.

"I'm going to the cottage to lie down." Jake started to follow me but then stopped himself.

"Oh okay well um…let me know if you need anything," He didn't look very comfortable with this and I found myself very angry with my mother. I ran to the cottage, into my room, and locked the door. I threw my face onto my pillow as tears began to fall. It just didn't make sense, why would my mom want Jake to keep something from me? He's my best friend; the only person I can talk to and here he was lying that entire time, telling me nothing was wrong when there actually was.

I was so confused about everything. Questions just kept circling in my brain and they wouldn't leave. What's not obvious to me? Does the rest of the family know? Am I the only one left out? And most importantly what is it that Jake was trying to tell me today? All these secrets, all these lies, I was at a loss of what to do. I wasn't sure whether or not I should tell Jake that I overheard. He would know I was eavesdropping but then again he's keeping a huge secret from me so it's nothing in comparison.

Even though Jake is the one that's been lying to me, my mother has been behind it all. I was furious at her; why was she doing this? She thinks she knows Jake better than I do, like she knows what's best for both of us. Then I thought of how she forbade me to speak with Corey again; once more thinking she knows what's best for me. I wanted to prove her wrong, I wanted to show her that I can take care of myself and that talking to a boy at school isn't dangerous. Sure I would get into loads of trouble, but it would be worth it in the end if it worked. I began thinking of a plan, as my eyelids started to feel heavy. Tomorrow I was going to talk to Corey.


	5. Chapter 5

Jake

This was impossible; I just couldn't take it any longer. Hurting her, lying, keeping secrets, it all just needed to stop. I was so close to telling Nessie in the woods today, but all I kept seeing was Bella pleading with me to wait longer. I wanted Ness to be happy and free just as much as Bella did but couldn't she do that knowing that I love her? Would things really change that much if she knew how I felt? I didn't think so but Bella did and this was her daughter, so I had to respect her request. One thing's for sure, if she got anything from her mother, it's the impatience for lying and secrets. Bella always needs to know what is going on and hates feeling left out of anything. If she's lied to, well let's just say it's not pretty. I've noticed that Nessie and her are very much alike and it's starting to get me nervous.

So here I am sitting outside Nessie's window, once again worried about her after only five minutes. Don't get me wrong I listened to every word Bella said, and I know she was right, but Nessie means everything to me and I won't risk her being in any kind of danger. Even though no one believes me about this vampire problem, I know I'm right; I can feel it. It's here resting on mud, that I wish she knew how I felt about her. I could be lying next to her on a soft bed, running my fingers through her beautiful silk hair, feeling no pain or regret, just being there with her.

By the time I woke up, Nessie was already at school. I decided since I haven't been to La push in a while, that maybe I should stop by. My dad was probably bored out of his mind and getting lonely. Sure the pack came by a lot to keep him company, but being his son I should probably be the one who sees him the most. So far I suppose I've done a lousy job. But he's been very understanding about my devotion to Nessie and knows I can't be away from her.

It was noon by the time I got to the house. For some reason it seemed smaller, maybe because I've been spoiled with the Cullen's mansion. As I pushed open the creaky door, my father's head peered out from the kitchen. His face broke out in a huge smile as I went over to hug him.

"Jake! You're home! I've missed you son. How are you?"

"Pretty Good."

"How's Nessie?"

"She's great, at school right now but she's doing well."

"Wonderful. And um…how are the Cullen's?"

"There good dad…the same you know." I had to give my dad credit, he's been trying his hardest to be nice to the Cullen's and act civilized about how everything played out. He's very grateful for their help.

"You hungry? I can make anything you want."

"Thanks dad but I'm fine, I'll probably be hunting with Ness later on. Raw meat is growing on me, it's not so bad."

"Huh, whatever you say Jake. Man the lengths you imprinters go to for your ladies. Don't get me wrong it's sweet. I'm glad to see you happy son. So um does Nessie know yet about…you know?"

"Nope. Bella's being a pain about this whole waiting another month thing. I don't know what a stupid month will do. Maybe she's just trying to torture me, I don't know. I want to tell her so badly."

"I can imagine so. It must be tough, but Renesmee _is_ Bella's daughter, if she wants you to wait just do as she says. Don't worry Nessie will still be available in a month."

"You sure about that?"

"Well sure she's gorgeous but if I remember Edward correctly he's not exactly the type to let his daughter date some high school kid who can't take care of her. Plus they both know how much you love Nessie."

"Yeah I know. So how have things been around here? Dying of boredom yet?"

"Not really. Sam always stops by with Emily and Harry. He's a handful that Harry, and you should see how big he's gotten! I swear that kid grows two inches every time I see him. Last night was nice too; Charlie and Sue came by for dinner. Oh and Quil was asking for you. He and Claire are pretty serious now; you should stop by the beach, their down there now."

"Yeah that's a good idea. Thanks dad." It would be nice to see Quil and Claire. Plus, I could use advice from someone who's actually been through something similar. When I got to the beach, it was cloudy as usual. The waves looked even more intense than I remember them being and standing at the edge of the water was Quil and Clair, holding hands. They did look truly in love and to be honest it stung a bit. As I approached them, Claire heard my footsteps and turned, jumping slightly.

"Oh my gosh Jacob you scared me!" Claire cried when she realized it was me.

"Jake! Man I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?" Quil looked just as surprised as Claire to see me.

"Good, good. Just thought I would stop by and see some old friends. How you doing Claire?"

"Great Jake. How's Nessie?"

"She's good. Still has not idea I love her but yeah other than that."

"Really man? Rough," Quil looked like he truly understood what kind of pain I was in.

"Yeah I was actually hoping I could talk to you for a few minutes. You know about that whole thing…get some advice from someone whose been through this."

"Oh sure no problem. Claire will you be alright here?"

"Of course." Claire smiled and let go of his hand. Quil and I walked over to some firewood on the more dry part of the beach.

"So Bella's still not ready for you to tell Nessie yet?"

"No, she wants me to wait another month. Let her have a little more breathing room I guess. It's just rough you know?"

"Yeah I get it man. Emily didn't want me to tell Claire right away either. But I suppose it's a little different since Emily's not Claire's mother. If I were you I would just do what Bella asks. I know that's not what you want hear but I think it's the best idea. A month will pass by in no time, trust me."

"Easy for you to say, time goes so slow when Nessie is at school. Lately I've been using my free time trying to think of the perfect way to tell her. What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"Oh she will, believe me. I was terrified when I told Claire, but she told me she just couldn't resist the devotion I showed her and knew the love I felt for her was real. Nessie's a smart girl, she'll see how much you truly care about her and she won't be able to resist."

"You think?"

"Yeah definitely."

"Thanks Quil. This has helped really. I'm going to go back to the crypt to wait for Nessie to get home. Tell Claire I said bye."

"Alright Jake I'll talk to you later."

It was two- thirty by the time I got back to the Cullen's. Carlisle and Esme were working on their bedroom so I just took my spot on the couch and clicked through the channels slowly. Nessie would be home any minute now and maybe we could drive over to Port Angeles. I needed some new scenery and I'm sure she would love to get out of Fork's for a while.

As I suspected, five minutes later in came the crowd. However, instead of laughter filling the room, an argument was taking place. This is definitely not normal behavior for the perfect little Cullen family. And to make things even stranger Bella was arguing with Alice!

"She should be able to stay after school without everyone freaking out. She practically an adult." I heard Alice exclaim.

"She's not _your_ daughter Alice. You had no right to tell her it was fine."

"I'm sorry Bella but it was for a school project. Certainly you want her to do well."

"Of course I do Alice but…"

"Alright someone needs to tell me what is going on right now. Where is Nessie?" I shouted. This was so frustrating. So much for my plans for the day.

"She had to stay after school to work on a Biology project. It's no big deal." Alice said. But Bella seemed to think differently. For once, I thought Bella was reacting worse than me. If it was for a class than I had no problem with that. I'm sure it was important if Nessie stayed at school for longer than necessary. But out of the corner of my eye I saw Rosalie, Edward, and Bella whispering to each other. All I could make out was Rosalie saying something about Biology class and someone working on the project with Nessie.

"What are you three whispering about?" I demanded.

They stopped and just stared at me, looking weary.

"Someone better tell me what the hell is going on right now or I swear…"

"Relax dog; it's nothing that concerns you." Rosalie then flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder and walked towards the kitchen leaving Bella and Edward looking flustered.

"Bella please just tell me why you're freaking out. Is there someone in Biology that you don't want her near?"

Once again her only response was opening and closing her mouth several times before deciding not to answer at all. She followed Blondie into the kitchen, with Edward right behind her. Obviously I wasn't going to get the answers I needed from them. I turned to see Alice looking at me, smiling half-heartedly.

"Don't worry Jake, Bella's just overreacting. Nessie's just trying to do well on a project that's all. You have nothing to worry about. Now I'm going to be outside looking for any signs that the Volturi are coming. I'll be right back." She was just trying to make me feel better but it was a nice gesture. I watched her leave and sat back down on the couch next to Jasper and Emmet. I wonder how easily these two would give out information.

"So guys…do you want to do me a favor and let me in on what is going on?"

They both stared at me for a second before they answered at the same time. "No." So much for guys sticking together. Maybe that just applied to those of the same species. I bent my head back and tried to relax, maybe take a nap so that when I woke up Nessie would be home and I could breathe again.

I was nearly asleep when Alice ran inside and stood at the doorway, looking panicked. My stomach hurtled and all I could do was stare at her. Everyone came running from the kitchen, led by Edward who saw whatever she had seen in her vision. Oh god, what happened now? So many terrible thoughts ran through my head. Were the Volturi coming? Did someone get hurt? Was Nessie harmed in any way? I swear if anything happened to her… No I couldn't think that way. I had to stay positive, Nessie was fine.

"Alice what did you see?" Bella's voice went up and she was nearly shaking as Edward tried to hold her steady.

"Nessie…"

Oh no…no…no. My heart was beating out of control as I too began to shake. What happened? Oh God what happened? I couldn't speak.

"Relax she's fine. Bella love she's fine, she's fine." Edward whispered to Bella to calm her down. Was he serious? Was she really okay or was that just to get her mother to relax? I took a deep breath in and tried to steady myself.

"What happened?" I asked in the most composed way I could manage.

"She… She's perfectly fine…she just…um…"

"Spit it out!" I roared. Then I saw Edward staring at me looking…sympathetic? Then Alice mimicked the same expression. What the hell was going on here? From a distance I could hear a car pull up outside, dropping Nessie off. One of her girl friends had given her a ride and I could hear them exchanging goodbyes. Every vampire in the room seemed to stiffen. Carlisle and Esme had snuck downstairs without a sound, looking very confused. I couldn't have looked much different. Bella was no longer shaking, knowing that Nessie was fine, but she now had a deep crease in her forehead.

Nessie practically skipped through the door, a huge smile across her face.

"Hello everyone. How was your day?"

She was completely oblivious to the tense eight vampires and werewolf standing around her. Suddenly her arms were around me and I hugged back, not having the slightest idea what was going on. Was Nessie on drugs?

"Nessie sweetheart did something happen after school? You seem a lot happier than you were the last time I saw you." Bella went over to her and placed both of her hands on her shoulders. But Nessie continued to hop up and down, looking like a child who just got a pony.

"Everything fine! No better than fine, perfect! You will never believe what happened after school. I know you won't approve right away but mom ugh I swear this is the best day of my life. Ahhh!!"

"Nessie what…what happened?"

"Okay you ready? " She took a deep breath and I held mine. I honestly had no idea what to expect. What could have happened after school to make her act this way?

"Corey Parker asked me out and I said yes and we are going to prom together! Ahhh!!!"

My heart stopped for what seemed like five whole seconds. I was having trouble putting those words together. Trying to pretend that they didn't come out of Nessie's mouth. Nessie, the girl I'm in love with, the girl I want to marry, Nessie. The only sentence I could manage to get through my lips was,

"Who in God's name is Corey Parker?"


	6. Chapter 6

Nessie

It was almost too easy. In biology we were assigned an in class project and of course Corey and I were partners since we sat next to each other. I barely spoke to him once and if I did it was merely to discuss how to create the parts of the cell. Our task was to construct a replica of an animal cell, including all the organelles, with different things around the room. Any other day this would be an easy assignment for me to finish within one class period, but today I worked extremely slow and pretended to have no idea what I was doing. Therefore, when the bell rang, we hadn't finished, so see I really had no other choice but to stay after school and work on it, nor did my partner.

As I packed up, I told Corey I would see him after school and walked out of class, leaving him looking baffled. It didn't surprise me to see my father and Rosalie once again standing outside the door, but this time they didn't look angry, but suspicious. As I predicted Corey's confusion would leave my father completely clueless of my true intentions _and_ prevent me from being rebuked for entire lunch period. Neither of them said a word to me, or didn't have time to because I nearly ran into the cafeteria, not even bothering to get in line for food. I was extremely careful with my thoughts all through lunch and whenever I looked over at my family's table, they were huddled close, arguing with one another. I didn't take pleasure in stressing them out and causing arguments, but they needed to mind their own business and let me run my own life.

It was clear that the girl's at the table took notice of my silence and knew something was wrong. Danielle constantly asked me if I was okay, even though I told her I was fine several times. She then began to go on and on about the weekend plans and wanted my opinion. She thought it would be fun to go to this club in Seattle Saturday night and said her brother could get us all fake ID's. Though that's as much as I heard because right then the opportunity I had been looking for had come; Alice went to throw out her tray and head off to "class early". She did this every time she was trying to concentrate really hard on the future, especially when it dealt with me. I was more difficult for her to see because I'm only half vampire.

"Yeah sounds fun, I'll be right back I have to use the bathroom."

I walked quickly out the double doors, ignoring the apprehensive glares from my family, and started looking for Alice. She couldn't have gone too far. When I rounded the corner, there she was leaning against a set of lockers, eyes closed, probably trying to figure out what I was up to.

"Alice."

Her eyes flew open, looking startled when she saw me.

"Nessie? What are you doing here?"

"I saw you leave the cafeteria and I wanted to speak with you."

"Oh, well sure. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah…everything's fine. It's just I saw everyone arguing at lunch today and I figured it was about me so I wanted to clear things up. See, I'm having a bit of trouble in Biology and I have a huge project I was supposed to finish in class but I didn't. So I was just going to stay after school to finish it and get some extra help. That's all, so can you tell the family to relax?"

Alice looked taken aback, obviously not expecting such a simple explanation. I was worried that she wouldn't believe me because I'm usually quite good at Biology, but she didn't appear suspicious at all.

"Oh Nessie that's okay. I was never that great at Biology either so don't worry about it."

"Thanks Alice. So it's okay if I stay after school today?"

"Of course, yes, take all the time you need. Do you want me to pick you up after school?"

"I'm sure I can find a ride home, but I'll call you if I need one. Thanks for understanding Alice."

"Sure Nessie, and thanks for letting me know…we were all so confused."

I smiled and we headed back towards the lunchroom. When I sat back down, Danielle was immediately down my throat. "Took you long enough in there. You weren't…"

"What?"

She glanced at the other two, looking almost embarrassed. "You weren't throwing up were you?"

This took me by so much shock I nearly laughed. "What? Oh gosh Danielle you don't honestly think I'd do that do you?" Her only reply was a shrug. I rolled my eyes and tried my best to keep from smiling.

"No I wasn't throwing up, I ran into Alice in the hallway and asked her to tell my family I was staying after school." They seemed to relax a bit, which was a relief. The last thing I needed right now was for Danielle to start spreading rumors about me having an eating disorder, that is if she hasn't already.

"Hey I'm staying after to take an English quiz. Do you need a ride home?" Tara chimed in. This was very much unexpected. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure this was one of the first time's Tara's ever really spoke to me. I speculated whether or not she had some secret motive and thought about asking my father, but then remembered that probably wouldn't be the best idea.

"Yeah that would be great, thanks Tara. I'll meet you out front, Corey and I don't have that much more to work on." Right then my heart sunk, I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that I didn't actually say that out loud. I had completely forgotten about the six vampires across the room with exceptional hearing.

"Wait Corey Parker?" Danielle nearly screamed. I sunk lower in my chair, afraid to even look over at my family.

"You're partners with Corey Parker? The hottest guy in school? Oh my Gosh!" Tara nearly fell out of her seat. Even Brianna appeared impressed.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Ugh why did they have to be so loud?

"You have to tell us everything that happens! Or tell Tara on your drive home and she'll fill us in. Ugh Corey Parker! I just can't get over it. You are SO lucky!" Danielle screeched, still jumping up and down in her chair.

I braved a glance over at my family's table but they were all gone. This was not good.

The bell rang and I headed off to English, looking around every corner, expecting to see my mother staring at me with insane anger or Alice looking betrayed and upset. However I didn't see one member of my family for the rest of the day. It honestly had me worried, what if something happened to them? I laughed at the thought causing Tracy Walkins to stare at me like I'd lost my mind. What danger could they possibly get into at a high school? They _were_ vampires after all; definitely the most dangerous things in this place. But where were they?

Then it hit me while I was rummaging through my locker, what if they had left before I said Corey's name out loud? Then they would still have no idea what I was up to and that would explain why I wasn't being approached by any of them. Still, I always see Jasper and Alice on my way to gym and Emmet definitely wasn't in English…

I made my way over to the Biology classroom while students began moving passed me in the opposite direction, all ready to leave. I was slightly envious of them because even I got sick of this place by the time the last bell rang. As I walked into the classroom, Corey was already there, looking as gorgeous as ever. When he saw me approach, a big grin spread across his face, melting my heart and causing me to nearly trip on the side of the desk. He already had our model out and was working on finishing the mitochondria.

"Hey Nessie. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"I'm fine."

Alright this was a little more awkward than I had planned. I thought for sure he would start asking me a bunch of questions about my family or what I was doing later on. That's what he usually does; maybe he got tired of me not answering him or lost interest in me completely. Great. We worked in silence for about five minutes and every now and then we would both reach for the scissors and our fingers would touch slightly. Luckily my skin wasn't as ice cold as the rest of my family's. He still had that grin on his face that looked like he was enjoying some inside joke and it was getting really frustrating. I couldn't take it any longer so I talked first.

"Sorry you had to get stuck doing this after school. I guess I'm just not that great at Biology." He looked over and shook his head.

"I don't mind, at least I'm here with you and not some crazy cheerleader that enjoys rubbing my arm and squeezing my bicep."

Wait what?

He must have seen the confusion on my face because he continued to explain.

"Yeah last week I had to stay after for another project in English and this girl Katie, Katie Summers, I don't know if you've heard of her, but she was my partner. Head cheerleader?"

I shook my head. The name wasn't familiar but I really didn't like where this was going.

"Well yeah, she's a bit… desperate I guess. Her boyfriend dumped her last month and ever since then she's been trying to flirt with me and while we were working on the project she kept rubbing my arm, and giggling after everything I said. Then she's squeezed my bicep and ask me how many hours I work out each day. It was just so annoying, I wanted to shoot myself. Anyway, this is much, much better trust me."

That was a relief. At least now I knew he wasn't bad about having to stay after with me.

"So why don't you ever talk to me in class?" He asked and I knew I couldn't tell him the truth.

"I told you I'm shy and as you can see I need to pay attention in class or I'll fail."

"So?"

"So my grades are important to me. My parents would kill me if I didn't pass this class." That was the truth. He just nodded, still smiling a bit, but looking skeptical.

"Right, well I would offer to tutor you but I don't think I'm any better at it." I smiled at the thought.

"Thanks anyway."

"Sure…so you said you live with your adoptive parents? Are they really strict? I mean I guess when you have seven kids you have to be."

"Yeah they have a lot of rules, but they're great. I can't imagine being raised by any two better people." I tried my best to sound how a teenage girl would when discussing her parents. Hopefully it was convincing.

He continued to ask questions about my family, which was a little strange because I already went into detail about them through the notes we passed the other day. It wasn't easy to keep making up information about my family and not get caught in a lie. Eventually he stopped with the questions and we were nearly finished with the cell. I had to admit I was upset that we didn't talk about anything new; he was a complete mystery to me. Not once did we discuss what _his_ family was like or what _his_ future plans were. I looked up at the clock and it had only been ten minutes, but it felt like he went on with the questions for at least an hour. We turned in the project and I began to leave when he lightly grabbed my arm.

"Hey I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out some time, I mean I don't know about you but I had a good time. Maybe we could go to dinner or see a movie." I was having trouble catching my breath. Did he just ask me out on a date? This was too good to be true; there was no way this was happening. Corey Parker wanted to see me outside of school, as in go to a dinner or a movie. As I tried to process what just happened, I realized that I was standing there staring at him like some love struck teenager. Which I kind of was, but giving him an answer would probably be a good idea.

"Ha…um…yeah…well…yeah…that would be good…I mean great…that would be perfect." In that moment all my dignity and grace had disappeared along with my sanity. However, he just smiled, acting as though my answer wasn't completely and embarrassingly pathetic. Oh gosh I'm no better than that cheerleader who was all over him before, what was her name? Katelyn? I tried to think of something to say that could somehow make me look less desperate and stupid. But before I could he answered.

"Great, great. Well I'll check when I don't have practice and let you know tomorrow what night's good."

"Okay great!" I said that with _way_ too much enthusiasm. Ugh!

He then leaned into me, whispering goodbye into my ear. My eyes fluttered and I nearly passed out as I watched him walk out the door. I followed, turning the opposite direction as we parted ways, about to revel in extreme happiness when I suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, expecting to see my father or perhaps my mother, who would probably kill me, but it wasn't either of them. Corey was right back in front of me as if he never left.

"Sorry I forgot I wanted to ask you one more thing. I was wondering whether or not you would go to prom with me?"

Was he trying to kill me? I wasn't sure how much more shock my body could take. As if the last question didn't send me on enough of a frantic search for words, here I was once again staring his gorgeous face and not able to utter a single word.

"It's okay if you've said yes to someone else already…"

"No!" I nearly screamed.

"No, no one has asked me. You're the first."

"Oh, well will you?"

"Huh?"

"Will you go to prom with me?"

"Yes…yes I would love to."

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye." I stood there in the hallway, watching him walk away like the true stalker I had become. What was wrong with me? But I couldn't worry about how mindless and stupid I had come off; the fact was that Corey not only asked me on a date but to also go to prom with him. This was truly the best day of my life.

**Author's Note:**

Hey guy thanks so much for your reviews, I really appreciate them! This is my first fan fiction so I'm really excited about it and have some great ideas so I hope you keep reading! If you have any suggestions for some later plot points let me know. I'm going on a weeklong vacation soon and won't have internet so I'm going to try and get up at least one more chapter before I leave and will be working on a bunch while I'm away. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will keep you updated, thanks again!


	7. Chapter 7

Nessie

Filling in Tara proved to be less of a challenge than I expected. From a distance I could see her jumping up and down next to her car, looking really excited. I was seeing a completely new side of her that somewhat resembled Danielle and it was becoming easier to understand why they were best friends. She was beaming when I approached the car and began asking me questions before she even started the engine. Every time I tried to answer, she would break out into squeals of delight, making it nearly impossible to explain everything thoroughly.

However, as annoying as it was, I found myself shaking in overexcitement just as much as her. I've never been the type of girl that giggles when she thinks of a boy or likes to share her personal business with others, but here I was going into immense detail on how I felt about Corey and the sensation I got when he touched my arm or whispered in my ear. This was all so new to me and frankly it wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be. By the time we reached my house I had told Tara as much as she would let me get out, leaving me dizzy from all the euphoria exerted between the both of us.

"Wow you have a really nice place." She stared wide-eyed at the house as I hopped out of the car.

"Thanks! I'll see you tomorrow."

"Huh? Oh yeah I'll see you tomorrow! Bye!"

I watched her drive away, hoping she paid attention to how she got here so she wouldn't get lost. I turned toward the house and began walking up the steps, in an even better mood than before now that I shared how I felt with someone else. At that moment I wanted to tell the world how happy I was; I didn't even care how my parents would react, they'd get over it once they saw how great Corey was.

Practically skipping through the door, I came face to face with my whole family plus Jake, standing in a semi circle in the foyer. They looked upset about something but I couldn't really find it in myself to be worried. Then I remembered the reason behind my jubilance, and it all came together. I acted as though I noticed nothing and greeted them casually.

"Hello everyone. How was your day?" I wasn't about to let them ruin my mood with their sour attitude. Then I saw Jacob standing off to the side, looking very concerned and I realized how badly I wanted to let him in on what happened. His support was especially important because I had no doubt that he could talk some sense into my parents and the rest of the family. I ran over and gave him and huge hug; he wrapped his arms around me too and I could already imagine the things he would say to defend me when he saw how much I liked Corey.

But before I could tell him, my mother was next to me, pulling my arms off Jake and placing her hands firmly on my shoulders.

"Nessie sweetheart did something happen after school? You seem a lot happier than you were the last time I saw you." She was right, I definitely was because the last time she saw me I wasn't going out with Corey Parker. I continued to jump up and down, unable to control myself. Of course, she would be angry when she found out as would everyone else besides Jake, but it was worth the argument. It was now or never.

"Everything's fine! No better than fine, perfect! You will never believe what happened after school. I know you won't approve right away but mom ugh I swear this is the best day of my life. Ahhh!!" I hoped she would see how happy I was about this and be understanding. My heart was beating even quicker than usual, and I'm sure everyone had noticed.

"Nessie what…what happened?"

"Okay you ready?" I took a deep breath, looking at my mother as I said it.

"Corey Parker asked me out and I said yes and we are going to prom together! Ahhh!!!"

I stood there smiling for about ten seconds and then took a look around the room. I saw my father's face; eyes squeezed shut; his pointer finger and thumb pressed on the bridge of his nose, and then my mother, wide-eyed, her brow creased, appearing to be in shock. Alice looked weary, Rosalie frustrated, and Emmett had both his eye brows raised with one side of his mouth twitching slightly. Jasper appeared to be a mess with all these different emotions around him; I didn't know what he was actually feeling. Both Esme and Carlisle were looking over at Jacob which is where my gaze eventually landed.

He was the most surprising out of all of them. His fists were clenched tightly as he stared down at the floor, his entire body shaking like it does when he's about to go into wolf form.

I walked slowly towards him as I watched him struggle for words. Then he managed to say something that immediately had me rethinking his opinion on me dating.

"Who is God's name is Corey Parker?" Definitely wasn't expecting that.

"Um…well he's this boy I met in Biology. We stayed after school to work on a project and that's when…he…" I stopped there because Jake's face was too much to take in. His eyebrows were pushed together and his dark eyes looked the angriest I've ever seen them. Cautiously, I backed up towards Alice and Japer, my eyes never leaving his.

"Jake calm down." My mother stepped in front of me, as if it was dangerous being close to Jacob. Confusion swept over me, he would never hurt me, why was she acting like this and what was wrong with him? As I felt myself bump into Alice, I felt her cold hands grasp my arms and gently nudge me behind her too. I peeked over her shoulder and saw my father rush over to Jacob, trying to calm him down by whispering something to him. He put his hand on his shoulder, but Jake immediately shook it off, now staring at my mother with insane hatred. Something was very wrong and I needed to find out.

I pushed through Alice and stood next to my mother with Rosalie jumping in, trying to pull me away.

"He's not going to hurt me Rosalie, relax." My mother hissed in my direction, apparently believing that he was capable of doing exactly that. I continued to move forward, ignoring Rosalie's plea's for me to back away. But before I could get anywhere near him, my mother put her arm in front of me, preventing me from getting any closer.

"Jake? Jake what's wrong?" I asked quietly. His eyes went from my fathers to mine and his expression softened, though he still didn't answer.

I continued to stare into his eyes and felt tears begin to fall; his expression was almost unbearable to look at. So much pain and sadness filled his face and I had no idea why. Then it was over and he was out the door before I could even blink. I had no idea what had just happened but tears continued to stain my cheeks as I looked over at my mother for an explanation. She was staring at my father, who seemed to be communicating to her without words. I hated when they did that.

"Is someone going to explain to me what just happened?" I asked in quiet voice, knowing very well that they all heard me. Still, not one person answered me. I turned toward Alice and Rosalie, whose heads were facing down, averting my gaze.

"Anyone?" Then I remembered something.

"Where did you all go after lunch today?"

"We had to leave early to discuss some things…sweetheart how about you come sit down. We need to talk." My mother guided me over to the couch and sat on my right. Rosalie sat on my left with the rest of the family spreading themselves around the room.

"Why did Jake react like that?" I asked. My mother was clearly having trouble deciding what to say so I turned to Rosalie. She wasn't much help either.

"You said we need to talk…"

"We do. You can't go out with that boy."

"What! Why not?"

"Because I said so…"

"No! You can't do this to me, I really like him! Just because he's human…"

"That's not the reason Nessie."

"Then what? You can trust me I promise I won't say anything more about our family…"

"I trust you! That has nothing to do with it."

"Then tell me why!"

"Because…because I said so."

"You already said that! You aren't telling me why!"

"Just listen to me Nessie, you are never to speak with him again do you understand?"

"No! I'm still completely clueless as to why I'm being told not to date a boy when I'm practically an adult! This is so unfair! Dad please talk some sense into her!"

"You heard your mother. The answer is no." I should have known he would never disagree with her, no matter how unreasonable she was being. I looked at the rest of my family for support but no one said a word. Desperately I turned to Alice, hoping that she could look into the future and see that nothing dangerous would happen if I went out with Corey.

"Alice, please tell them nothing will happen if I go out with Corey. _ Please_." Tears were pouring down my face; I had never felt so hopeless. She just shook her head and looked at me in pity, as was everyone else. This was humiliating.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. My mother's hands were rubbing my back soothingly but that was the last thing I wanted. I bounded out of the room, covering my tear soaked face, and racing to the cottage, hearing the sound of my name being called several times but ignoring them.

I decided to slow down to a walk when I was a few yards away, wiping the tears from my face. My mind was still on overdrive as I tried to figure out why Jake had gotten so angry, and then I heard a strange noise. Looking over my shoulder, I listened closer, struggling to locate where the noise had come from. It was definitely somewhere near the line of trees that encircled the left side of the cottage, so I made my way over there. Then I heard it again but it was coming from the other side now. As I made my way to the other side, it came back to where it was originally. This was getting ridiculous. Were there two of whatever it was? It probably was just some animal walking around, but for some reason I found myself needing to know for sure.

As I pushed aside some branches and walked further into the forest, I heard the noise once more and I don't think it was an animal. The sound was familiar, close to the noise my mom had made at me earlier when she was warning me to stay back. A hissing kind of noise, and I'm sure it wasn't a snake, it was moving way too quickly. I stood frozen where I was, wondering if the vampire Jake thought he'd been smelling actually existed and was close by. My eyes scanned the trees and I smelled the air looking for any signs that a vampire was close. My sense of smell wasn't nearly as good as Jake's but I would probably be able to notice something different…

Then out of the corner of my eye I noticed it. Right between two shrubs, I saw something glistening in the sun and beside it a long, dark curtain of what appeared to be hair. Then the outline of dark clothing become clear and it was unmistakably a person, whether human or vampire I wasn't sure. They weren't doing a very good job hiding. Cautiously I walked forward, not feeling any fear but driven by curiosity.

"Hello?" I whispered, slowly getting closer to the figure. There was no answer.

"Excuse me…ahh!" Suddenly a pair of thick arms were grabbing me around the waist. I screamed louder, not being able to see who it was but only knowing that they were very strong. I strained my head backwards and there he was. Jacob.

I instantly relaxed as his chuckle rang in my ear. I spun around and shoved him; he didn't move an inch.

"Did I scare you?"

"Yes!"

Then I remembered what I was looking at before he came and glanced toward the bushes. Whoever it was they were gone now but I pushed it aside to worry about at a later date because Jacob was here, just the person I wanted to see. I turned back around towards him about to ask him why he freaked out earlier but his face was suddenly very serious and his entire body tense. I recognized this look all too well. He sniffed the air and I knew immediately that he had caught the scent the vampire I had just seen.

"I saw it Jake, the vampire. Or I think it was a vampire. It was over by that bush." I pointed towards the place where it had been and he followed. He sniffed the area and then stood up again.

"Same one. Did you see what it looked like?"

"He or she had long dark hair and something shiny on them. They were dressed in black, that's all I got close enough to see."

He looked worried but I didn't want to discuss the vampire I wanted to know why he was so angry before.

"Jake…"

"Let's go somewhere. Private. I'll explain everything, that is if your mother hasn't already."

"She hasn't told me a thing. Just that I can't date Corey." His eyes softened and he had that look back on his face. Then he sighed.

"Alright, come on I know a place we can talk."

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone I know this was a short chapter but I'm going to try and get one more up before I go away. Hope you enjoyed!


	8. Chapter 8

Jake

The sun was starting to set by the time we reached the beach. I decided that La push was a good place to talk privately and that way Bella couldn't track us down and prevent me once again from telling Nessie. I swear that woman causes more trouble for me than anyone else I know. Didn't I tell her that Nessie was going to meet someone at school? But no she never listens to me and here I am now planning on sharing my true feelings with her while she's crushing on some stupid high school kid.

When I found out, I honestly didn't know what was wrong with me. I just remember all of a sudden feeling my body start to shake and getting these images of Nessie with another guy; it drove me nuts. But when Bella stepped in front of her that really set me off, she actually believed I would hurt Nessie! There she was protecting her from me like I'm some kind of dangerous monster. She needs to take a good look in the mirror. All my anger was aimed at Bella because this was entirely her fault. None of this would have happened if I had just gone with my gut instinct and told Nessie a long time ago how I felt.

After storming out of the house I tried everything I could think of to calm down. I thought about Nessie's concerned face as she watched me freak out. I thought about the different breathing exercises Sam would tell us to practice whenever we felt heated up or upset. Then I imagined telling Nessie the truth and her forgetting all about this Corey kid; leaving us to finally be together.

Eventually I did settle down and went back to the house looking for Nessie. Esme told me she ran off towards the cottage and then I caught her scent off to the side of the house. Now that I think about it, that was a pretty reckless thing for Nessie to be doing; going off on her own into the forest looking for a vampire. I made a mental note to talk to her about being less like her mother and be more concerned with self-preservation.

We held hands and walked along the beach towards the old spot by the driftwood where Bella and I and used to talk. It was the perfect location to tell Nessie everything and I mean everything. Nothing would be left out because I was getting so sick of keeping secrets. She looked me over several times and I could tell she was nervous. I was nervous myself; it was difficult deciding where to start.

"So I guess you're wondering why I freaked out before."

"It did come as a shock." She looked down at the sand, her fingers absentmindedly twirling a piece of wood. This was going to be difficult. My hand rested on the side of her face, attempting to get her to look at me. She finally gave in and my gaze was met with a pair of deep brown eyes, reminding me so much of her mother, it was scary. She raised her eyebrows waiting for me to speak but I didn't know what to say. All that practice and ideas of how I would finally tell her had been forgotten.

"Nessie…the reason why I got so upset when I found out you were going out with Corey is because…"

"Because…?"

"You've met Jared and Kim right?" I was going to use Quil but then remembered that Claire wasn't yet Nessie's age so it really wouldn't work as well.

"Huh?"

"You know Jared and Kim."

"Yeah…I remember them. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"See…Jared used to have no idea who Kim was. Then all of a sudden he did…"

She stared at me as if I had lost my mind. I didn't know where I was going with this so I decided to just straight out explain imprinting and hope she'd catch on a little more.

"Okay werewolves are weird, you know that. For one they are extremely hot and can read each other's thoughts. They can't be seen in Alice's visions and have completely different DNA than most people. Well there is also one other strange thing that some wound up doing. It's called imprinting."

Her eyebrows pulled together as she continued to look into my eyes, trying to understand what I was getting at.

"Imprinting was supposed to be rare but about half our pack has done it. There's Jared and Kim, Sam and Emily, Quil and Claire, Paul and my sister, and…and me."

"You?" Oh God here it goes.

"Yeah me. You see when someone imprints on a person…ugh how can I explain this? It's sort of a love at first sight thing. Once you imprint on someone, they are your whole life. They mean the world to you and they see that person and that person only. If he or she imprints on a child, like Quil did with Claire, then it's the kind of love that serves as a protector, making sure that the child lives a safe and happy life and be there for them when they need anything. Eventually they will feel romantically attached to that person, once they reach a close enough age, and they fall in love. I know it's strange and crazy and seems completely made up but it's real and it happened to me. Seven years ago." I remained focused on her face, waiting for her at any moment to realize that's she the one. The one I'm in love with. The one I would do anything for. The one I would die to save. She looked down, thinking hard about something. My hands began to shake, I wanted her to figure out what I was saying on her own, but couldn't wait any longer. This was it.

"Nessie there's a reason why I'm always so worried about you and watch your every move and tend to over react when it comes to your safety. There's a reason for why I always smile when you walk into the room, and comfort you when you're upset or defend you against your parents. It's not just because I'm your best friend…it's more than that." I reached over and held her hand in both of mine.

"Nessie I love you. I always have, ever since the day I first laid eyes on you. The day you were born is the day when I…I imprinted on you. Ever since then I have never stopped thinking about you, protecting you, making sure that you were taken care of and I've been your best friend for a while..." Taking a chance, I locked my fingers between hers, rubbing her snow white hand with my thumb, still focusing on her face.

"But now that you're old enough I wanted to…" Suddenly she ripped her hand from mine, brushing back the water falling down her face that I had mistaken for tears of joy.

"Wanted to what? Wanted to finally let me know after all these years that you _love me_? Wanted to keep this huge secret from me until _now_? Now when I'm seeing someone from school who I really like and what learn that I can't? Because you have some wolf claim on me? I can't believe this." My heart began to sink as I watched her stand up and begin to pace back and forth.

"You love me Jake? You're telling me you love me right now? After all these years we spent together, after everything we have been through, with me never keeping ANYTHING from you ever! You…you imprinted on me and it didn't occur to you that this might be a somewhat important detail for me to be aware of? Of course not because you're Jacob. You're my mother's best friend, her own personal spy and listen to everything she tells you without even considering how it makes me feel."

"Nessie I…"

"She's the reason isn't she? The reason that I'm learning this now and not sooner. Am I right?" All I could do was sit there, frozen on the piece of wood, staring down at the sand, in too much pain to answer.

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe her. I can't believe you! You of all people Jake to keep a secret like this. A secret that very much involves me and I…I…" Finally I looked up, watching tears continue to stream down her cheeks. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't even find it in me to comfort her. What could I say? She obviously did not feel the same way about me as I did her. The sting of rejection sat in the pit of my stomach as I felt myself on the edge of a breakdown, a collapse. The only person that could cure such a throbbing pain was the same person who was causing it. Nessie didn't love me. It hurt to even think about it. With my eyes squeezed shut I attempted to keep my breath steady and not give into my emotions.

I had known all along that there was no guarantee that she would feel the same way. I just loved her so much that I never thought she was capable of hurting me like she was now. But it was possible and it wasn't pleasant to say the least.

"I'm sorry Jake. I just can't...I've barely made it through my first year of high school and I need to experience it the right way. I need to be able to date other guys and be a teenager. You're my best friend and you know I'll always love you…just not in the way you want." That was terribly familiar. It stung more this time than the first when it was Bella in her place. Why did girl's like to use that phrase so much? Or maybe it's just this family, either way it sucked. My heart felt like it had been cut up into little pieces and this time I wasn't sure if I would recover.

Nessie than reached out for my hand and wiped a stray tear falling down my cheek. She laid her head on my shoulder, strands of her hair brushing against my face, leaving me feeling even more depressed. Knowing that I wanted her so badly but couldn't have her was unbearable.

"I hate hurting you Jacob. Please understand…"

"I understand."

She lifted her head up slightly, trying to look me in the eyes, but I wouldn't budge.

"What happens now? I mean this whole imprinting thing…do I even have a choice? Do I have to…?"

"You don't have to do anything."

"I don't? So I can still go out with Corey and everything will be okay?" My head was spinning; I couldn't be this close to her right now knowing she wanted someone else. My body began to tremor, I tried so hard to get the image of Nessie being with someone else out of my head but it was useless. I forced the word I didn't want to say out, before I changed my mind.

"Yes." Anger, jealousy, rejection all flooded through my body, she wasn't safe this close to me. I quickly stood up leaving her looking flustered. Running away at once, I threw off my shorts and tied them around my ankle. Then I felt the spark run down my spine and I was on all fours racing through the once familiar forest of La Push. I didn't feel comfortable leaving Nessie there alone but I couldn't go back. I couldn't look into those eyes again and feel any more pain than I was feeling now. I needed to get away. Away from Nessie, away from the Cullen's, away from people. Time to think, that's what I wanted.

I raced along the outskirts of town, looking for one of my brothers. Then I heard a voice I recognized all too well, dripping with attitude and contempt. Leah was running a few yards parallel to me wondering why I was back in La push. Not my first choice, but it would have to do.

"Oh look who it is, Mr. I'm too good for La Push now that I've got a mansion full of bloodsuckers to care for."

"Nice to see you too Leah."

"What brings you out here? Lost your girlfriend?" That stung a bit.

"No I left her on the beach. Could you do me a favor and call the Cullen's and tell them where Nessie is? I don't want her running home alone."

Her head was blank for a few seconds but then it kicked in high gear.

"What? Why don't you get off your lazy butt and do it yourself? Why did you leave her there anyway? Not exactly something I'd expect you to do. You have a fight?"

"Sort of. Look Leah can you please just do me this favor?"

"You could always order me to do it, then I'd have no choice oh great and powerful alpha."

"I'm not your leader anymore and you know that. You're back in Sam's pack."

"I don't know…I kind of liked yours better. Ever consider reprising your role?"

"No thank you. The guys giving you trouble again?"

"No I'm giving them trouble. Like usually."

"Of course. Leah I'm asking you as a friend, please just let the Cullen's know where Nessie is. It would really help me out."

I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

"Fine fine, what's the leeches' crypt number?"

I told her their number and almost wished I could be there to see their reaction when they get a phone call from Leah. I asked her to be polite but I highly doubt she will listen. Thanking Leah once more, I ran away in the opposite direction, searching for a place to be alone with my thoughts. But I could always count on my brother's to make that impossible.

"Jake you're back!"

"Jake!"

"Hey Jake!"

"Wow Jake what are you doing here?"

"Jake's here!"

So much for being alone with my thoughts.

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone. So this probably will be the last chapter I get up till next week but I should get at least three done while I'm away. Hopefully. Thanks for your comments hope you enjoyed.


	9. Chapter 9

Nessie

It was there, standing at the water's edge, alone, that I was finally able to really cry. I thought about what I had just done and the consequences that would follow, making it difficult to catch my breath. Not only is Jacob my best friend, he's also the one person in this world that I trust and rely on to keep me safe. Or at least he was. Thinking back to those harsh words I threw in his face, it was possible that I hurt him beyond amends. But I had known what I was getting myself into. I was fully aware that I was about to cause Jake serious pain and even though it killed us both, it was necessary.

While sitting on the log, listening to Jake declare his love for me, it became clear immediately how I felt. My heart had swelled, my throat became dry, and whirlwind of emotions had hit all at once, making me feel better than I've ever felt before. The truth is I was in love with him too. I always have been, I've just never realized until now. And it's more than just a best friend kind of love; much deeper than I ever thought I could feel about another person. Jacob has always been there for me whenever I needed him and although it never occurred to me that the reason behind our amazing bond lies with some strange werewolf magic, it crossed my mind that maybe he and I were meant to be more than just friends. I began remembering all the times I had felt so close to him, so safe and happy; moments where I would lay in his arms and never want to leave. I remembered how my heartbeat sped up every time he held my hand or touched my cheek. I believed it to be all in my head and would have never guessed in a million years that Jacob felt the same way, but there he was saying those three beautiful words to me. What I wouldn't give to be able to tell him the truth, to take back the pain I've just inflicted on him.

But it's too late, he was gone. My plan had worked out exactly how I thought it would, leaving me to stand here in shame, almost regretting the choice I made. Knowing that I was in love with Jake took me by surprise and honestly I had no idea how to deal with it. I sat there, contemplating whether or not I should tell him the truth, thinking about my family and how they had been in on it the entire time. Things began to clear up such as why I wasn't allowed to speak to boys at school and why they told me I couldn't date Corey. It was reason behind Jake's eyes filling with sorrow when he found out I liked another guy, whose affections meant very little when compared to his. All these lies and secrets that were kept just made me feel like a child again. Always protected and never able to live my life the way I want to. It was then that it became obvious what I had to do. If I wanted to prove to everyone that I can take care of myself and make my own choices, I couldn't tell Jacob how I really felt, not yet. I had to lie too.

It wasn't an easy choice. I knew how badly this would kill him because I had seen the affection Sam, Jared, and the rest of the imprinters shared with their partners. The devotion and love between them was truly magical and I wanted it too, very badly. Imagining life with Jake was very easy, it just felt right, but I needed to do this for me, even if it meant hurting the one I loved. So as he tried his hardest to explain to me how much I meant to him, I saw an opportunity to stop him in his tracks, and took it.

Practically nothing I told him was true. Sure it hurt that he kept such a huge secret like this from me for so long and yes I was angry with my mother, but they weren't enough to stop me from loving Jacob. I could see how terrible I was making him feel as I watched the pain and regret reach his eyes. It wasn't his fault and I knew that, but I couldn't let him know. I was never that great of an actress but I put every ounce of energy into trying to prove that I wanted nothing more than friendship with him.

Then out of the corner of his eye, a tear began to fall, and I couldn't believe it. Jake was never one to cry so I knew he was buying every word I was saying. My eyes began to get blurry and I could barely contain myself any longer, this was too heartbreaking to watch. And that's exactly what I was doing, breaking his heart. I wanted so badly to apologize and take back whatever terrible things I had just said to him, but a voice inside kept telling me not to. However, as painful as it was seeing him cry and watching him believe every lie, it was nothing compared to suddenly realizing that he had left me. I was alone on the beach; left by the one person who I thought would never abandon me. Jake was really gone, and I knew he wasn't coming back.

So here I am now, watching the wave's crash against the rocks, yearning for Jacob, wanting to hold his hand, imagining how things would have turned out if I had said that I loved him too. The sun had nearly set but I didn't want to move. So many thoughts ran through my head, there was no way I'd be able to find my way home now, I would just get lost. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I tried to relax and remind myself how important it was that I kept this lie going.

"Nessie?"

I jumped and spun around to see my mother standing a few feet behind me, looking worried. She moved closer, extending her arm towards me but I immediately took a step back. The last person I wanted to see right now was her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked coldly. She understood right away that I was angry but continued to move closer.

"Leah called saying that Jacob left you on the La Push beach so I came to get you. He didn't want you to go home alone." My eyes widened and I stared at her in disbelief. Jacob didn't want me to go home alone? After everything that's just happened, he still cared about me? Maybe I underestimated the power of imprinting. And Leah made the call? What was that about? Then again this could be some cruel joke she was playing on me for hurting Jake; that is certainly something she would do. It was no secret that Leah hated me and the rest of my family, so why was she calling them? She's not the type of girl who would play secretary for anyone, even Jacob. Still, how would she know I was on the beach?

"Is that all she said?"

"Yeah that's all she said. She didn't sound happy but then again she hates me." She smiled slightly, trying to make me laugh but I was not in the mood.

"Nessie what happened? Did Jake tell you…?"

"Yes he told me. How could you?"

"How could I what?"

"Have him keep this from me for so long? Don't you think I have the right to know when someone's in love with me? When someone's imprinted on me? You think you know everything and have the right to get into other people's business but you don't! I get that Jacob's your best friend but he's mine too!"

"I know that! I just wanted you to be able to experience high school without being tied down, to live as close to normal as possible. That's what your always asking for."

"You're right I do want that. And that's what I'm doing, living a normal life."

"Having a werewolf boyfriend is not exactly normal."

"That's why I don't have a werewolf boyfriend." Her eyebrows pushed together as she tried to figure out what I meant by that.

"What?"

"Jacob isn't my boyfriend, I'm not dating him. Like you said I want a normal life and in order to have that Jake can't be a part of it, at least not in a romantic way." Her eyes widened, obviously not expecting me to have denied him.

"Oh Nessie you didn't! Where is he? What did you say?"

"I told him exactly how I felt. I don't love him mom and I think it's better that he left. He didn't say where he was going but I'm sure he's fine. I can't be tied down to only one person, I won't. Corey is who I want to date right now and if Jacob can't handle that than too bad, he doesn't have to come back." I turned my back towards her, trying to prevent the tears from spilling over. I couldn't look at her; she would be able to tell if I was lying right away, she's good with catching liars even though she was terrible at it herself.

"I can't believe you! How can you treat him that way? After everything he's done for you, he's your best friend!"

"Right my best friend, nothing more."

"Oh God I have to find him, I feel terrible." I spun back around, truly resenting her right at the moment.

"You should! This is your fault not mine so don't blame me!"

"I'm not blaming you but I just wish you would have been a little less blunt about your feelings, he deserves better!"

I couldn't argue with that even if I tried. She knew just as well as I did what a great person Jacob is and he really does deserve better, someone better than me. My mother stared at her feet, thinking hard about something. Then she looked up at me, a desperate edge to her.

"You have to come with me."

"Where?"

"To find Jacob, we both owe him an apology."

There was no way I'd be able to look him in the eyes and ask for forgiveness when I knew I didn't deserve it. I couldn't do that, at least not just yet.

"No. You can go look for him and apologize, but I'm staying here."

"Nessie you don't have a choice, you're coming with me. He couldn't have gotten too far, I bet he's still somewhere in La Push. If we hurry we can…"

"No. I'm staying here."

"You are not staying on the beach alone at night; it's too dangerous even for you!"

"Fine then I'll go home."

"No! You are coming with me to find Jake! We have to…"

Before she could finish her sentence I darted off towards the woods, hoping I was heading in the right direction. She was faster than me but I was weaving in and out of trees, trying to confuse her a bit. I heard footsteps following close by, but I couldn't see her, she was still somewhere behind me. My name was being shouted several times but I simply ignored her, wanting to just get back to the cottage and be by myself. She was getting closer; I needed to throw her off somehow, but how in the world could I do that? And then I saw it, a few yards away was a cliff that overlooked the beach we were just on, it would be the perfect way to escape. Surely she wouldn't think I'd be desperate enough to throw myself off of there. Little did she know I was that desperate and I needed to get away quickly. Abruptly I changed directions, turning left towards the cliff, already anxious for the rush of cool air that would hit my face as I soared down into the water.

However, my stomach felt uneasy as I got closer, realizing what a huge plunge it was to the ocean. If I was going to do this, it needed to happen now, so with all the speed I could muster I flung myself off the cliff, trying my hardest not to scream. It was challenging, but as my body soared through the air, I actually found that it wasn't so bad. As a matter of fact I've never felt freer in my entire life, it was great.

I hit the water in a matter of seconds, sinking into its depths, all my worries vanishing instantly. It wasn't nearly as cold as I had thought it would be, especially since my body temperature isn't the same as an average human. My lungs were also able to go longer without air so I didn't rush swimming to the surface. It was so peaceful down here; I almost never wanted to go back up. With my eyes shut I thought about Jacob, his smile, his chuckle, the way his eyes would light up every time I walked through the door. Now that I think about it, Jake wasn't exactly discrete when it came to his feelings for me, it was actually pretty obvious. If only I had noticed it earlier, none of this would have happened. I could blame my mother all I wanted, but real reason Jake's gone is because of me, it was just so easy to be mad at her. I knew her intentions were good, but it bothered me how she never trusts me enough to make my own decisions. Still, I probably should apologize.

What worried me most was trying to keep this charade up around my family and if Jake returns, I don't think I'll be able to continue hurting him. If he saw me with Corey it would just kill him; he needed to stay away, just until my point was proven. Most of the family would be angry at me or at least surprised that I could be so cruel, but I couldn't worry about what they thought. I needed their trust and if this worked than it'd be completely worth it. Jake would forgive me, he has to; I couldn't live without him even if I tried. The more I thought about it the more I began to question whether he would still love me once he knew the truth. I had broken him; hurt him perhaps to the point of healing. I knew little about imprinting, only having observed some of Jake's brothers but if any of their partners had denied their love I couldn't imagine how they would react. Maybe this wasn't the greatest idea…

My lungs started to become tight and then I realized I had been underwater for nearly four minutes. I opened my eyes, about to swim to the surface, when suddenly my entire body froze. There in front of me were two piercing black eyes; surrounded by a sheet of black hair, the same vampire I had seen earlier, I was certain. I gasped, swallowing a ton of water, trying to kick myself away from the figure in front of me. Her eyes continued to pierce mine, a malicious grin spreading wide across her face. There was something familiar about the expression but I was having trouble concentrating on anything, I wasn't even sure it was a female. My lungs were filled with water and I was slowly losing consciousness. My arms reached up, trying to break the surface, but I could barely move. Every time I swam an inch, she followed, still looking intently at me.

Finally I was able to get my head out of the water. However, as soon as I attempted to breath, my lungs gave out and all I could do was cough. Water began pouring out of my mouth and I couldn't catch my breath. Then I felt a hand wrap around my ankle, tugging me below the water once again. I struggled against the pull, trying to grab whoever it was and force them off me, but my strength was nothing compared to hers. My eyes searched the black water, attempting to find the head so maybe I could yank out some hair. A searing pain was piercing my chest, I was going to die, I could feel it. A surge of panic hit me, realizing that I would never get to tell Jake how I really feel or be able to apologize to my mother. Flashing images of my family flew through my head as darkness began to close in. Whoever said that drowning was the most peaceful way to die should try it out themselves; this was anything but peaceful.

If only I was a vampire too, then this would have done absolutely nothing. But no, I was only half and could die just like everyone else; maybe not as easily, but I still could, and that's exactly what I was doing. I stopped struggling and allowed unconsciousness to take me, feeling hands tearing my face, my back, my throat. I had no idea what this vampire was doing; only that she wanted me dead.

My head was throbbing, my lungs aching terribly; I was nearly gone when all of a sudden I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and yank me upwards. The cool air hit my face but I still couldn't breathe. I wanted to know who my savior was but couldn't lift my head. Everything turned hazy and the next thing I knew I was laying down, hearing a panicked voice call my name over and over. But my eyes couldn't stay open and finally after all those terrible minutes of agony, the darkness came.


	10. Chapter 10

Nessie

I was lying in my bed with no memory of how I got there or who had saved me. All I knew was that I was in the cottage and it was nighttime; the moon illuminated my entire bedroom making it easier to find my way to the door. I felt sweaty and disgusting as I walked out into the kitchen, expecting to see my parents waiting for me to wake up. What happened back in the water was such a blur, all I remember was a pair of big arms lifting me out of the water and then everything going black. If I was being honest with myself, I was sort of hoping that it was Jacob who saved me. It definitely seemed like something he would do; appear out of nowhere and come to my rescue. But then again how would he have known I was in danger, he was gone and I hadn't even screamed when I fell. As I made my way into the living room, it slowly dawned on me that I was the only one here.

Then I noticed that I was still in my wet clothes. Why wouldn't they change me into something dry? Chills ran down my spine, where was everyone? All the lights were turned off so maybe they were back at the house. I made my way out the door when suddenly a familiar howl pierced the air, I'd recognize that sound anywhere. Jacob was here! My heart sped up as I raced out the cottage, wanting to see Jake's reassuring face more than anything. He would erase all my worries in an instant; I didn't even care about what happened earlier, it wasn't important now. My eyes searched the surrounding area but he was nowhere in sight.

Then he howled again, it was coming from the left side of the forest. In seconds I was in pursuit, desperate to find him, needing him to hold me close and tell me everything's okay.

"Jacob! Jacob!" I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow, but nothing was coming out. I couldn't hear my voice at all; as much as I tried to yell, it wasn't working. That was strange. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a clearing a few yards away, and in the middle of it, with his back facing me, stood Jacob. A smile broke out across my face as I made my way over there, my heart soaring.

"Jacob! Jake you're here thank god! What the heck is going on? I just woke up in my bedroom and…"

Silence continued to fill the air; I couldn't hear one word I was saying. Was I even speaking? I walked over to him and grabbed his shoulder. Something was very wrong here. He tensed up, slowly turning towards me, scowling fiercely. He shook my hand off; looking the angriest I've ever seen him. What was wrong? Was he still that mad at me? I tried speaking again.

"Jacob? Jacob what's happening?"

Nothing. He continued to glare at me, not saying a word. Perhaps I could show him what I was feeling. I reached my hand out once more and tried to touch his face, but he smacked it away instantly. Tears stung my eyes; I didn't know what to do. I continued to scream his name but nothing, not even a whisper. That's when I noticed my lungs were tightening and I wasn't breathing. My hands flew to my throat, trying to tell Jake that I needed help. But he just continued to stand there, doing nothing. I walked closer, begging him with whatever hand motions I could think of, to do something.

Before I could touch him, he shoved me backwards and I fell to the ground. My chest felt tight as I tried to get up. But he just knocked me over again, using both hands this time. It was the most painful blow I'd ever felt. Why was he doing this? Still glowering, Jacob stomped over to where I was lying, hovering above me. His face contorted with such rage, it was almost unrecognizable. He slammed his hands on me once again, right over my heart. The pain was excruciating, I didn't know how much more I could take. I begged him to stop but he couldn't hear me, he just continued to do the same thing over and over.

"Nessie!" I heard a voice shout, but it wasn't his.

"Nessie! Oh God please!"

Who _was_ that? And why weren't they stopping Jacob?

"Carlisle it's not working!"

Carlisle?

I bent my head back, trying to find where the voice was coming from, when out of nowhere I felt my lungs filling with air. I could breathe…

My eyes flew open, trying to refocus on my surroundings, but I wasn't in the forest anymore. A bright light hung above me as familiar voices spoke in panicked tones. My name was being called several times but I couldn't see by whom, the light was so bright. Then I felt my head begin to throb and I tried to lift it up but several hands pushed me back down. Soothing words were being whispered into my ear, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. That's when I realized I only dreamt being in the forest with Jacob, it hadn't actually happened.

I blinked a few times, attempting to squeeze the water out of my eyes. When I got enough out I saw Carlisle hovering over me, one of his hands on my forehand and the other pressed against my wrist.

"Nessie? Nessie can you hear me?"

I nodded my head, relief washing over me because I could finally comprehend what he was saying. As I looked around the room I realized that Carlisle's study had been rearranged into a hospital room and that I was lying on a hard and very uncomfortable metal bed. People began to come into focus and I recognized my mother and father both at the foot of my bed looking very frazzled. In the back of the room stood Alice, Esme, and Jasper, while Emmett and Rosalie sat in an armchair to my left. All of them appeared exhausted, like humans who haven't slept in three days.

"Oh Nessie!" My mother cried, walking over to the right side of the bed, holding my other hand.

"What happened?" My voice was hoarse and it stung my throat when I spoke.

"You jumped off a cliff and nearly killed yourself, that's what happened!" My mother's eyes went from concern to anger instantly. It was all coming back to me, the poorly thought out plan, throwing myself off the cliff, thinking about Jacob, those black eyes and twisted grin, then nearly drowning until someone saved me. Her anger, for once, was understandable.

"I'm sorry mom, it was stupid."

"Stupid! It was beyond stupid Renesmee! You jumped off a_ cliff_! Do you have any idea what I've been through? What we've all been through? What were you thinking?"

"I… I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously not!"

"Oh please, like you can talk." Rosalie chimed in, eyebrows raised, looking straight at my mother.

"What?" I asked, very confused. What did she mean by that? Rosalie was about to explain but my mother hissed angrily, preventing her from speaking.

"What was that about?"

"It's not important; we are discussing your rash behavior right now. You could have died do you understand that? If anything would have happened to you Nessie I…I…" She began to sob tearlessly; my father moving forward to comfort her. I felt terrible. Never again did I want to make my mother or any of my family look as they do right now.

"Mom I'm sorry. Really I am. But I would have been fine if I that stupid vampire wasn't in the ocean. She came out of nowhere!" My mother stopped crying and joined everyone in staring at me incredulously.

"What vampire?"

"The vampire in the water. The same one Jacob has been smelling around the forest. She was trying to kill me!"

"Nessie there was no vampire in the water with you." How would she know?

"Yes there was! She kept pulling me down and I nearly drowned!"

"Sweetheart you nearly drowned because your foot was caught on a reef."

"No! That's not what…"

"Thank god Leah saw you jump or…" Wait what?

"Leah saved me?"

"Well no, but Sam heard her thoughts. He's the one who pulled you out of the water. He said that you were stuck on some kind of reef and nearly unconscious when he found you." So it wasn't who I had hoped, but at least it wasn't Leah. I would have never lived that down. But why would Sam say I was stuck on a reef? He had to have caught her scent, she was right there!

"Listen to me I know what I saw. It was a vampire! She had long black hair and really dark eyes…"

"If a vampire was anywhere near you then wouldn't have Sam smelled it?" My father spoke for the first time. He had a point, Sam definitely would have smelled it, but it was there I wasn't imagining being attacked.

"Maybe he couldn't smell her because she was in the water; it could have disguised the scent."

"Nessie it doesn't work like that. Wolves can smell vampires from miles away, water wouldn't have…"

"Then how do you explain the scratches?"

"You probably cut yourself on the reef at some point."

"No!" Suddenly the door creaked open and Sam stuck his head through, his nose scrunching up. He obviously wasn't too pleased to be in a vampire's house and the smell was getting to him. Still he walked into the room trying to hide his disgust the best he could, relaxing slightly when reaching me.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, appearing sincerely concerned for my well being.

"I'm fine. Thank you for saving me."

"Sure. It was no problem." I smiled and then wanted to clear some facts up about what really happened.

"Sam…you said I was stuck on a reef…are you sure?" He looked confused for a second and then answered, "Yes. I believe so. Your foot was caught on something." Ha exactly what I thought, he was only guessing.

"See! He's not really sure whether it was a reef or not! I'm telling you it was a vampire!" My mother shook her head, looking almost embarrassed.

"Vampire? Nessie I'm sure it wasn't a vampire, I would have…"

"Smelled it? I know Sam but somehow she must have masked her scent."

Everyone continued to stare at me as I if I was losing my mind.

"How much meds did you give her Carlisle?" Emmet scoffed. Usually I enjoyed his jokes but right now it was very irritating.

"Sweetheart just relax okay, you're still tired…"

"I'm not making this up!"

"I know honey..." Right.

"Jacob would have believed me." I mumbled and of course they heard perfectly. My mother opened her mouth, about to say something but then changed her mind. She glanced at Sam, waiting for him to speak.

"Oh well I guess I should tell you Nessie…after I took you here I…" He stopped, cautiously awaiting some kind of reaction from me.

"You what?"

"I called Jacob. I figured he'd want to know what happened." My heart began to beat out of control and what was worse is that it was heard by everyone in the room thanks to the monitor. Not that they couldn't hear that without it, but the beeping made it so much worse.

"Jacob knows?" I wasn't sure what this meant. Was he coming back? Did he even care? Sam nodded his head and I had a feeling someone filled him in on what had happened between us.

"He's on his way now; he was only a few towns away when I called so it shouldn't be too much longer." Great. What in the world was I going to say to him? I wanted him to know how I felt but at the same time I had no idea what I could possibly tell him that would explain my behavior. There was no way I was ready to confess to all the lies, especially in front of everyone. Yes I am being ridiculously stupid and if I was smart I would stop this now but I just can't. This needed to continue for just a little longer, until the perfect moment came along. After I have finished what I started, all this wasn't going to waste.

But hurting him more was going to be impossible. Maybe I didn't have to hurt him really bad, just enough so that he gets the point that we are only friends. I didn't have to be cruel, and I didn't want to make matter worse. My mother wouldn't be pleased but I was hoping now she understands how serious I am about my decision. This is what I want, or at least am pretending I want.

The room was tense, everyone watching me intently, not sure whether I was happy or upset that Jacob was coming. If this was going to work, they needed to believe it just as much as Jake did.

"I wish you wouldn't have told him Sam."

"I'm sorry but at the moment I wasn't aware of the situation." I just nodded.

"Nessie…your feelings for Jacob is none of my business but I wish you would just think about what you're doing to him…he loves you very much and…" Downstairs the front door flung open and heavy footsteps could be heard flying up the stairs. It took him only three seconds to reach the room and there he was, frantically searching for me and eventually his eyes met mine. The expression on his face left me with no doubt that he still cared about my safety and it just about changed my mind.

He slowly made his way over to me, taking in every scratch and bruise on my body. His fingers grazed over my forehead, holding my other hand in his.

"Oh Nessie." This was going to harder than I thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Jake

This was exactly why I never tell Leah anything, she can't control her stupid thoughts. Now more than half the pack was aware that I had left Nessie on the beach, making me out to be a cold-hearted monster. All of their voices together came out as one big mess of noise that I was in no mood to deal with. I told them all to shut up several times in my head, but they continued to ask me questions, coming up with a wide variety of reasons for what had happened.

"She bit you didn't she?" Collin asked with Brady snickering behind him.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Then what, did you finally come to senses and realize you're in love with a vampire?" Paul asked. He thought it was insane that I imprinted on Nessie and never even took the time out to meet her. If he had he'd be able to see how wonderful she is and probably let go of his prejudice.

"Half-vampire and no that's not what happened."

"Did you have a fight?" Seth was crouching in the back of the circle that had formed, sincerely worried about what happened. He really liked Nessie and never once questioned my attachment to her.

"Yeah sort of."

"What was it about? Is she overworking you as the maid? Not paying you enough?" Paul taunted. A snarl built up in the back of my throat, he always had some snide comment to make; couldn't he just get over it. It's not like he doesn't have his own wife to worry about. He found _his_ happiness.

"Shut up Paul." Seth said before I could do anything.

"Stay out of this kid." Paul sneered.

"Don't tell me what to do! Just leave Jake alone, it's none of your business. At least I'm sure the fight wasn't about who ate the last bag of potato chips like someone I know." Paul growled fiercely, about to attack Seth, but I stepped in between them just in time.

"Cool it Paul and Seth I appreciate you sticking up for me but I could care less what he thinks. I don't have to explain myself to anyone." They both calmed down though I didn't move.

"I'm going away for a while but I'll need someone to let Sam and my father know. I'm not sure when I'm coming back but I'll keep in touch."

"Aw don't go Jake." Embry said. Then Quil took a step forward.

"Did you tell Nessie about the imprinting? Is that what all of this is about?"

I didn't answer; it was too humiliating to admit. Then Paul let out a barking laugh.

"She denied you? Oh my gosh I can't believe it! That sucks!"

At any other time I would have ripped his arm off but I didn't have the energy. I could barely look any of them in the eye, I felt so ashamed. But I can always count on Embry and Quil to defend me. They swore their lungs off at him and I hated to admit it but that made me feel a lot better. Paul apologized and the others told me how sorry they were. A few seconds passed when finally Seth spoke.

"But Jake where…?" It was clear that he didn't think this was a good idea and he was probably right but I needed to get away.

"I don't know Seth but I'll come back don't worry." I said my goodbyes and with one last look at my brothers, I disappeared into the forest.

Running as fast as I could, I let my four legs take me in the most random directions, having no clue where I was heading or what I would find there. I just needed time to think, to come up with a game plan. There was no way I could just let Nessie go, it would never work. I needed her like I needed oxygen, I couldn't live without her. While I was of thinking up a way to win her back something caused me to suddenly halt. This could not be happening. Not again.

I hadn't even reached the outskirts of La Push yet and there it was, the nagging little voice of Seth calling out for me to slow down. What the hell was he doing?

"Jake! Jake slow down!"

Little did he know that I had already stopped and was just standing here like an idiot, in the middle the forest, not having the slightest clue as to why I wasn't running away. Probably because I felt bad for the kid, as annoying as he was. I watched him speed by; he hadn't realized until a few seconds later that he passed me. He ran back, surprised to see that I actually listened.

"What are you doing Seth?"

"Don't leave! You have to talk to Nessie. She was probably just taken by surprise; I know she loves you too!"

"Seth stop please."

"No! I know you think I have no idea what I'm talking about and that I'm just some stupid kid but I'm positive that this is a mistake! I know Nessie and she would never hurt you."

"I didn't think she could either but I wasn't imagining things, I heard exactly what she said and trust me she doesn't love me, at least not more than a friend." It hurt to say out loud, but Seth continued to argue with me. Didn't he get it? I was just her friend, her gossip buddy, nothing more.

"If you go I'm coming with you."

"The hell you are! Get back to Sam's pack right now."

"No, if you're going to be stupid and run away from your problems than I guess I'm just going to have to bug you until you change your mind."

"Kid I told you I'm coming back. I just need time to think."

"I know but last time you said that it took months for you to return. I'm not letting you do that to everyone again. If you want to think, than you can think with me, I'll help you come to your senses." I rolled my eyes, this was going to bad. But once I thought about it, I realized that maybe Seth could be useful after all.

"Okay Seth you can come, but you have to help me with something."

"Sure! Anything!"

"I need to think of a plan to get Nessie to ditch this kid she's going out with at school. His name is Corey Parker and I think he's part of the reason why she doesn't want to be with me right now. If you help me I'll let you stay."

"Um…sure Jake, no problem. But are you sure you want to do this? Shouldn't you just buy her flowers or write her a letter?"

"Do you want to come with me or not?" That shut him up. He nodded and we began to run again, heading across the state with no idea where we were actually going.

We came up with several different ideas but they all ended with Nessie hating my guts. I needed something that could keep Corey away without her realizing I was behind it. But how was I going to manage that when I don't even go to their school? Suddenly it came to me, I couldn't do it, but the Cullen's could. Seth turned to face me, instantly knowing what I was thinking. He didn't look like he approved of getting her family involved but it was the only way.

They had to agree to it. It was their fault in the first place that she even met this Corey kid. All Bella kept telling me was that everyone was keeping Nessie as far away as possible from any boys and now here she is dating one. All of them knew how much she meant to me, and if she wasn't getting hurt, then I didn't see what the problem was. Before I could think really hard about how I was going to ask them, I felt a twinge on my ankle. Something was vibrating and I realized it was my cell phone in the pocket of my shorts.

Seth and I slowed to a stop as I told him I had to change back into my human self. It took no more than a second for me to be back on two legs, untying the shorts from my ankle. I slipped them on, and looked at the phone screen. Sam was calling me. Great, he was probably going to tell me off for leaving and letting Seth come along.

"Hi Sam." I answered.

"Jacob where are you?"

"I'm going for a run with Seth."

"You need to come back to La Push _now_."

"Sam listen I just need some time to think I'll be back…"

"That's not the reason I'm calling. Jake it's…it's Nessie." My body stiffened and my heart sped up to an immeasurable speed. Oh God not again. But this time it was worse because I knew Sam wouldn't call if it wasn't really important. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Seth phased back into his human form, shaking his hands in front of my face.

"Jake…Jake what's wrong?"

"Sam what happened?" I mumbled into the phone.

"She jumped off a cliff. She was nearly dead when I found her but I brought her back to the Cullen's and Carlisle's taking care of her now. I'm not sure what happened exactly but I think her foot got caught on some kind of reef and I'm pretty sure she was underwater for a while. I heard Leah thinking about her jumping when I phased."

This could not be happening. I was frozen in place, why would she jump? I underestimated how alike she and Bella are, both reckless and stupid. Once again this was my fault, I left her on the beach, I trusted Leah to call the Cullen's, and I made Nessie feel terrible about not loving me.

My hands trembled and the phone was nearly crushed until Seth took it away. He began speaking to Sam, getting all the information about what exactly happened and how Nessie was doing. I could hear Sam on the other line telling him that she was in critical condition and he didn't know whether she had woken up yet. How could I have let this happen? My legs gave out and I knelt on the ground, having another breakdown, but this time running away would do no good. I needed to get back to the Cullen's, we were only a few towns away and if I ran really fast it would only take fifteen minutes at the most.

I stood up, pulling my shorts off as I heard Seth tell Sam our location and that we were on our way now. He stuck the phone in his pocket and we were off in seconds, racing through the forest at the quickest speed we have both ever ran. I felt bad for Seth, having to listen to me panic and blame myself during the whole trip, but I couldn't help it. He tried to reassure me that it wasn't my fault and that Nessie would be okay. I wanted to believe him but neither of us knew for sure what kind of state she was in right now. All I kept hoping for was that she would wake up. She has to wake up.

I wasn't really paying attention to where we were going but luckily Seth was good with directions and got us there using the quickest route. It took only ten minutes for us to reach the house. I raced ahead, charging through the door and running up the stairs two at a time. Nearly breaking the door of Carlisle's study off its hinges, I scanned the room, hoping to see Nessie's big brown eyes staring back at me. And there they were, meeting my gaze, anxious and concerned. I nearly cried I was so relieved, she was awake, and she wasn't dead!

Eventually my eyes left hers and I looked at the entire picture. She was bandaged up on her head and arms, with tubes running all through her body. Scratches were visible all across her cheeks and she had a large gash across her collarbone. The sight was unbearable and sent a sharp pain through my heart. I moved to her bedside, running my fingers across her forehead and holding the hand that wasn't in Carlisle's.

"Oh Nessie." I couldn't believe this happened. It didn't matter that she doesn't love me, I was responsible for keeping her safe and I let her down. Some part of my brain registered the door creaking open and I knew it was Seth trying to see how Nessie was, but I couldn't stop take my eyes off her face.

"I'm so sorry. I should have been there, it's all my fault." She continued to look at me, not saying a word and I was having trouble understanding the expression on her face. It was something like confusion mixed with sadness, as if she felt bad for _me_.

"I'll understand if you don't ever trust me again Nessie but I want you to know how much I care about you and I promise I'll never let this happen again."

"Jake please."

"Please what?"

"This isn't your fault. I jumped off a cliff and it wasn't because of what happened earlier, it had nothing to do with you." I just stared at her, not following what she was getting at. If it didn't have to do with our argument than why _did_ she do it? How could I possibly not be to blame? Then I realized that everyone was staring at us and listening in on our conversation. I felt uncomfortable and wanted to speak to Nessie alone.

"Do you mind if Nessie and I have some privacy?" Bella looked wearily at her daughter and then to Edward but eventually agreed to leave. While everyone filed out, I sat next to Nessie, wanting so badly to hold her in my arms. I ran my fingers through her hair, gently combing it out of her face. I was about to continue apologizing but she spoke instead.

"Jacob I don't take back what I said earlier, I know you care about me and I appreciate you returning but I'm fine. You don't have to stay…"

"Nessie I _want_ to stay. I'm never leaving you again. Don't worry about hurting me, I can take it now. It just took seeing you like this to realize that I belong here with you even if it's only as your friend." She began to cry and I didn't know why. She was getting what she wanted; I was going to continue being her best friend while she dated whoever she wanted, even if it killed me to watch.

"Jacob…" Tears continued to stream down her face as I wiped them away. She wasn't supposed to be working herself up, she needed rest.

"Shh…relax. It's okay, I don't care Nessie I just want you to be happy. That's all that matters to me. Why are you crying?"

"You deserve better than me Jake…I don't want to hurt you…" What was she saying, how could I deserve any better than her, she was my whole life. I guess I never really went into detail about what a powerful thing imprinting was. She hasn't grasped yet that I'll always want her and only her.

"Please don't cry Nessie. I couldn't ask for anyone better, trust me. Even if I'm only your friend, I'll take that. Don't work yourself up." She relaxed a bit and closed her eyes. It was clear she needed her rest, so I kissed her forehead and began to leave.

"Jake wait!" I stopped in the middle of the room, turning back towards her. She just stared at me, looking like she wanted to say something, but couldn't. She then shook her head.

"Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." And with that she leaned her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes. I was needed here, I could feel it, whether or not I could convince Nessie to choose me, I wasn't sure. But I couldn't leave, not now, not ever again.


	12. Chapter 12

Jake

It has been exactly twelve hours since I had spoken with Nessie; she slept through the entire day, leaving me anxious and concerned. Was she supposed to sleep this long? I knew she was tired but I couldn't help worrying that she wouldn't wake up. Carlisle checked on her every two hours, trying to appease my distress but it didn't work. He removed all the tubes from her body and said that she would be able to move around once she woke up. If she woke up. Stop it, stop it, stop it! All I could do was sit on the couch, thinking how this was entirely my fault. Nessie could defend me as much as she wanted but it didn't matter, she wouldn't have jumped if I hadn't run off and left her.

I thought about the scratches on her body and knew that she probably fell onto a rock or what had Sam said on the phone? Caught on a reef? I wondered what kind of reef could have made those marks on her; they were so deeply etched into her skin. I continued to think about it, while Carlisle sat in the other room reading. I had been completely ignoring the two vampires that were sitting a few inches from me, not wanting to look either of them in the eye.

Bella and Edward decided to skip school today to make sure she was alright while everyone else went to assure the faculty that all three of them had caught a cold but would be back as soon as they felt better. I couldn't help but wonder if when Nessie went back to school, she would let Corey in on why she was really absent. Hopefully she doesn't feel the need to tell him everything that's going on in her life right now but then again she seems awfully attached to this guy.

My heart continued to ache and I thought back to the plan Seth and I had come up with on our run. It was a tempting idea to get the Cullen's involved because if anyone could keep Corey away from Nessie, it was them. I could already picture the sort of things Emmett would come up with to make sure he never looked or spoke to Nessie again. However, I didn't want to hurt her, Corey was what she wanted and there was still the chance that even with him out of the picture Nessie wouldn't want to be with me. She made it clear that all she wants is friendship and I have to respect her wish. Still…if it worked…

Carlisle came into the room looking sympathetically in my direction. "Jacob I know you're worried but I promise you she'll be alright. She just needs her rest." I nodded but didn't say anything. It's not that I didn't trust him, he _was_ a doctor, the best I've ever seen in fact, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger. Maybe not right now but soon.

"I'm going upstairs to check on her." Carlisle said and he began moving towards the stairs. But before he could reach them Bella gently grabbed his arm.

"No wait. I'll go up, I want to see her." He nodded and she moved ahead of him, flying up the stairs. I would join her but I don't think I could handle seeing her like that again. Carlisle moved back into the dining room and continued reading the medical textbook he has been engrossed in all day. That's when I felt the awkward tension growing, realizing that it was only Edward and me in the room. He didn't look over and kept his head facing down, his eyes closed, as if he were concentrating on something. Then it hit me, I had completely forgotten about Edward's gift. He could read Nessie's mind, he would be able to tell me what she was really thinking and the reason behind her jumping off the cliff. He groaned, hearing what I was thinking at that moment, but didn't look up.

I scooted over an inch on the couch, smiling coyly.

"Edward…" He waited a few seconds,

"Yes Jacob?"

"Did you by any chance listen in to Nessie's thoughts since she…you know?" Both his eyebrows furrowed and he appeared to be having trouble deciding what to say. Then his face relaxed as he took a deep breath, turning back to face me.

"I heard a few things; it's quite difficult to tune out. But I try my hardest to respect her privacy and keep out of her head, like I do with everyone. Still I was just as curious as you are as to why she would throw herself off the cliff and all I can tell you Jacob is that it isn't your fault." I rolled my eyes. _How could it not be my fault? _

"Edward exactly what did you hear?"

"It's not my place to say…"

"Oh come on Edward! You owe me! Don't act like you have nothing to do with this. You were supposed to keep her away from boys at school and what happens? She falls for someone in her biology class!" He slowly shook his head, as if disagreeing with what I was saying.

"Stop shaking your head! You know I'm right now _please_ just tell me what's going through that mind of hers."

"I can't. You can ask her yourself, I'm not getting involved." I sat there frustrated, but I could see that he was serious about not telling me. Stupid vampire, I wanted to spit on him but he would know it was coming. He chuckled and I was getting angrier by the minute.

"Fine. Then I'll just…"

"Bella doesn't know. I haven't told her either. Like I said it's Nessie's business not anyone else's." Ugh! He was no help at all. Here he was with all the answers to my questions and he wouldn't budge.

"Sorry Jacob."

"Sure, Sure." I was about to leave when he shoved my shoulder back down on the couch.

"I want to talk to you about something for a minute. I read your mind…"

"Not surprising."

"It wasn't on purpose, like I said it's not easy to tune out. I know what you're planning and I'm not getting involved, nor do I think the rest of the family will."

"Oh yes you are. I'm not set on it yet but if I do decide to put it into action, you and everyone else are most definitely helping. It's partly your fault."

"Jacob there is no way anyone will agree to help sabotage Nessie's relationship with this kid, even if we don't like him."

"You wanna bet?"

"Yes actually I do." The more I thought about it, the more I realized he might be right. They would never do something that Edward was against, God forbid.

"So you're just going to sit there, watching her date some little high school punk? You're completely comfortable with that?"

"Of course not. But everything is going to work out…"

"How do you know? You're not Alice! I can't just leave Nessie to…"

"Please Jacob just let it go. I promise if you just sit back and take it for a little while; it'll work out in your favor."

"Yeah right. She doesn't love me Edward, don't you get it! I've lost her, as a friend, as someone she can trust, everything has just completely gone wrong." I bent my head into my heads, thinking over and over about our argument back on the beach. I wish I could turn back time just once, so that I could beat Corey's face in so she wouldn't be so attracted to him. Edward cleared his throat and I looked up at his face. It was solemn, he truly felt bad, I think.

"I do. But Jacob I promise…"

I didn't want to listen anymore. The forest was calling me, I needed to go for a run, not a far one, just to clear my mind and get away from the telepath. However, before I reached the door he said something that made me immediately stop in my path.

"A vampire attacked her in the water. That's why she was all scratched up. I heard you thinking about it earlier." A vampire? _The_ vampire? It was the reason behind all those cuts and scrapes across Nessie's body? I couldn't believe it, but that made sense. Much more sense than a reef.

"A vampire attacked her?"

"I don't know for sure, but that's what she says. The other's think she's losing her mind, but a reef couldn't cause the kind of cuts she has, and she was thinking about it in such detail. I can't imagine her making it up."

"Of course she wasn't making it up! She wouldn't do that! Oh man I can't believe that leech got that close to her! I swear to God if I find it…"

"Relax. We can't jump to conclusions." I didn't answer; I was too busy imagining the things I would do to that parasite.

"Could you take down the vampire insults a little?"

"Oh sorry. But seriously it has to die Edward. You have to help me."

"You seem to want my help a lot lately."

"Don't you want to kill whatever did that to Nessie?"

"Of course I do but we need proof!"

"You know you are sounding more and more like Carlisle every day. The Edward I knew before Nessie was born would have been out there right now, tearing apart the forest. You've grown soft."

That stirred him up a bit. He stood up, staring fiercely at me. I stood up too, meeting his gaze. We were right in each other's faces and I was about to push him some more when suddenly the door swung open and in came Seth. He just walked into the house as if he owned it, completely oblivious to the tension between the two of us. Edward relaxed and sat back down, pretending it never happened.

"Hey Edward! Jake! How's Nessie?"

"She's fine Seth, Bella's up there now; you can go up if you want." Edward replied, being very friendly. I knew how close they were but it still annoyed the hell out of me. I took a deep breath and watched Seth run up the stairs. My mind focused back on the vampire and I needed to know what it was doing, why it attacked Nessie and where it was now.

"I'm going to circle the area and let the pack know so they can watch out for it."

"Fine." I watched him stare at the television, flipping through the channels and for some reason felt a little bad for what I had said. He deserved it, but still…

"Hey you wanna come? It would make things a bit quicker." He stopped flipping and looked up at me with awe. Okay this was embarrassing, but I mean he had to know it was coming, wasn't he reading my mind that whole time?

"I told you I try to tune it out. Anyway I appreciate you asking but I'm fine here."

"Aw come on Edward seriously, it would be a lot quicker if you came. I'll go to La Push myself. You can just take a lap around the area once and see if you pick up on any scents."

He continued staring at the TV, his eyebrows pushed close, not uttering a single word. I was about to leave when he jumped up and walked past me muttering an "okay". I tried to stifle my laugh but it came out anyway. He probably just wanted to prove that he still had some fury left in him.

"That's not why!" He called back to me, already several yards ahead in the forest.

"Alright Edward just circle around…" I said when I caught up.

"I know what to do thank you. Go to La Push, I have my cell if you need me."

"Oh all of a sudden you're running this operation."

"Jacob stop arguing with me and just go." I was about to say something but he raced off before I could get it out. La Push it was.

I didn't feel like hearing voices in my head and wanted to have my thoughts to myself, so I didn't phase. Sam should be around, and he was close by so it wasn't long before I reached his place. I knocked on the door and Emily opened it, holding her son Harry in her arms.

"Oh hello Jacob, what brings you here?"

"Hi Emily, is Sam around?"

"No last I checked he was over at the Cullen's. Went to see how Nessie was doing. Why? Isn't he there?"

"Oh I must have just missed him." Then her forehead creased and she looked confused.

"You couldn't have he went over there two hours ago. Are you sure he wasn't there?" That was strange, was he there? No I would have seen him come in, but I didn't want to worry her.

"Oh he probably was there I must not have noticed."

"Oh…okay…"

"See you Emily. Bye Harry." I waved goodbye wondering where the hell Sam was. I'm sure he just ran into the pack and lost track of time. But I guess I had no choice now than to phase. The tremor ran down my spine and I immediately sought out one of my brothers or if necessary, sister. It only took five seconds for me to get an answer and it was Embry, running somewhere along the border.

"Hey Jake, I heard what happened. You alright? How is she?"

"We're both fine but listen I need you to talk to the guys and ask them to look out for a vampire scent, not the Cullen's, a different one. Some leech attacked her in the water and I need to find out who."

"Seriously? Alright no problem, I'll spread the news."

"Thanks. Oh and Embry have you seen Sam?"

"Not since early this morning. Why?"

"Just keep a look out for him too and let me know okay?"

"Yeah sure but Jake what's…?"

I phased back into my human self, not wanting to cause a panic in the pack. Obviously Sam didn't run into them, or at least Embry, but I couldn't understand where he would have gone. And that he didn't tell Emily made it even stranger.

By the time I got back to the house, Edward was waiting outside on the porch with Seth sitting next to him.

"Get anything?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing. You?"

"No but is Sam here?"

"No why?"

"Emily said he came to check on Nessie two hours ago and she hasn't seen him since. I don't know where he is."

"That's weird. I didn't see him at all in the area. He's not with the pack?"

"Embry said he hasn't seen him since the morning. I don't know about the other guys, but why wouldn't he tell Emily?" Edward shrugged. Seth look worried and then stood up.

"I can go look around if you want." He said.

"Yeah that would be great Seth thanks." He smiled and ran off the porch, disappearing in the trees.

"Wherever this vampire is, I don't think it's close by. I checked the whole area and nothing." Edward said, still sitting on the step. I joined him, getting really anxious now for Nessie to wake up.

"She's still sleeping?"

Edward nodded. Great. I didn't know how much more I could take of this waiting around; it was the longest I've ever gone without seeing her.

"Sorry Jacob. You know I'm worried too. I don't show it as much but she is my daughter. If anything happened to her…I couldn't…I wouldn't know what I would do."

"Would you go back to those Italian vamps?"

"No. I wouldn't leave Bella, but I would probably do something crazy."

"Tell me about it. I think about it sometimes, you know? Well, actually you do know. Huh." Edward smiled a little, looking over at me.

"I know how much you love her Jacob and I wish you would believe me when I say that I'm okay with it. Really. If I had things my way, she would stay single the rest of her life, but she wouldn't be happy, and that's what I want. You make her happy."

"Right. Maybe before but not anymore. I've hurt her and its killing me. She deserves someone better, someone human who she can share a normal life with." I glanced up at him and he was thoughtful, with a hint of a smirk coming through.

"You know Jake, I never thought I would say this but you remind me of myself. The whole over protectiveness and paranoia that she shouldn't be with you. I had that all the time with Bella. To make things worse I was always putting her in danger, but you know that. I forget sometimes about the past, how you and I hated each other."

"Hated? Who said I ever stopped hating you?" I smiled and he laughed, then with a sigh he continued.

"I found that letting Bella make her own decision was what worked best. Obviously the whole leaving her thing was a bad idea, and whenever I tried to keep her away from you, she'd put herself in more danger trying to do exactly that. Nessie's so much like Bella, it's scary."

"You can say that again." He smiled. It was very true.

"But as much as I put her in danger, she still stuck with me. Nessie will do the same. I know you don't see it now, but she does love you, just give her a chance to realize it. Corey's just a high school crush that she'll get over quickly and then she'll come back to you. I promise."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Like I said, she's a lot like Bella, she's stubborn, but I also think she's a little like me too, I look at the whole picture. I see something I want and I take it."

"Yeah you're right you do that a lot. It's actually really annoying."

"Yeah but if I didn't than you wouldn't have Nessie would you?" And that's my cue to leave. I stood up but at the same time Edward did too, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"In all seriousness though, Nessie just needs time. Give her some space and before you know it, she'll see how important you are to her." As much as Edward pissed me off, I had to admit that he wasn't all that bad. Somewhere deep, deep, down I sort of liked him. Deep down.

"Thanks. I appreciate the help."

Then Seth was running towards us, on two legs, shaking his head.

"Nothing. I have no idea where he is, none of the guys have seen him either."

Damn it. Where was he?

Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a red convertible pull up and out came the rest of the Cullen clan, looking just as anxious as I've been all day. Rosalie was the first to make it up the porch steps.

"Is she alright? Did she wake up?"

"Not yet but I'm sure it won't be too long." Edward told them. Everyone looked disappointed, including me even though I already knew that. Then suddenly Edward's head sprung up and Carlisle was approaching the door.

"She actually just woke up. She'll be down in a little but I just want to make sure she feels okay to walk." Carlisle said as he stuck his head out. I exhaled deeply, feeling relief wash over me.

Everyone made their way into the living room, waiting patiently for the door upstairs to open. I couldn't wait to see her, but still some part of me was afraid that she would look worse than before. That maybe I wouldn't be able to take seeing her bruised up. Then next to me Edward whispered.

"She looks better, don't worry." He must have seen her in Carlisle or Bella's mind. After three very long minutes, the door finally opened and Bella came out first, supporting Nessie around her waist. Carlisle was on her other side and that's when I got a good look at her. She looked healthy, radiant even; I could barely control my thrill. But as she descended down the stairs, she caught my eye, and as I took a closer look at her face, it didn't match the rest of her body. It was cold, empty; clearly, she was not happy to see me.


	13. Chapter 13

Nessie

As soon as I opened my eyes, there was my mother, in the same place she was before, as though she never moved. I wasn't sure how long I slept but the light shining through the window told me that it was the next day. My mother beamed at me as she ran her fingers across my forehead, looking me over for any signs of discomfort.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright; I don't feel as much pain. How long was I asleep for?"

"About fourteen hours or so." Wow, I didn't think I could ever sleep for that long. And I was still tired. My body ached a bit but it wasn't enough to convince me to stay on this uncomfortable metal bed.

"Mom can I get up? This bed is really terrible."

"Let me get Carlisle and see what he thinks." She left the room, leaving me to reflect on several of my dreams. Most of them were about Jacob and one in particular dealt with me telling him everything, my true feelings, and then we sat together on a cliff watching the sunset. It was so perfect; I almost believed it was real.

I'm sure he was here right now, waiting downstairs on the couch for me to wake up. What was I going to say to him? I remembered my plan from before, to act as though the conversation at the beach never happened and to just be friends with him. Still, would that be enough? He told me he didn't care if I dated Corey but I could see right through him, it was a lie and I couldn't bear to watch him suffer. I continued to debate between still being friends or trying to convince him to leave when my mother came back in with Carlisle following behind.

"Hello Nessie, how are you?" Carlisle asked.

"Much better. I'm sure I'd be fine to walk around." I began to get up but he gently laid me back down.

"Hold on for just another minute. I want to check your blood pressure and see how your wounds are doing." He began the inspection, running his fingers over the cuts and scrapes, making sure my head was okay, and finally getting my blood pressure. When he was finished he told me everything looked normal and that I was fine to move around, but that I would have some trouble walking because how stiff my legs were. They both helped me off the bed and I took my time walking out the door.

Once I was comfortable enough to look away from my feet, I noticed eight pairs of eyes watching me carefully, taking in my appearance. I couldn't possible look any worse than I had when I first came in. As I scanned the room I knew which pair of eyes I was really searching for and I found them. There he was right where I pictured him, sitting on the couch, smiling up at me. Alright this was it; I had to make my decision. Let Jacob remain my friend and treat him like nothing ever happened, or try to convince him to leave so he wouldn't have endure the pain of seeing me with someone else. My face was grave as I thought it through and I knew I was giving off the wrong impression when I saw Jake's smile falter. When I reached the bottom step I realized it was now or never. Carlisle and my mother continued to help me into the living room and I had made my decision just in time. My face broke out into a weak smile as stared into Jake's eyes. His face lit up again and all I wanted to do right then was run over to him and wrap my arms around his broad shoulders. I wanted him to hold me and never let go, but that was impossible. At least for right now.

But I had to be friends with him. It was selfish on my part to let him stay but I needed him here. There was no way I could bear not seeing him every day when I got home from school. As everyone else huddled around me, asking me how I was feeling and whether or not I was in any pain, Jacob cautiously stood in the back, just staring into my eyes. I ignored the questions and moved forward towards him, reaching out my hand, motioning him forward. He looked unsure about this but followed my directions and came closer. Grabbing his warm hand, I couldn't get over how right it felt, it was overwhelming. But I reminded myself that we were only friends, nothing more.

He didn't lace our fingers together like he usually does, he was being careful. I guessed he wanted to prove that he could behave and handle just being my friend. I couldn't resist giving him a hug, and as I did he held me close, gently rubbing my back. Nothing more than a friend would do to another friend. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

He let go after only a few seconds and stepped back, still smiling but it didn't reach his eyes. I felt my mother brush my hair back and lightly touch my head, checking for tender spots.

"It doesn't look too bad. There are no bumps as far as I can tell…does it hurt honey?"

I shook my head, trying to think of something to say to Jake. He was looking down at the floor now, hands in pocket; looking up only to see my answer.

"Nessie why did you jump? We never really got an answer." Alice chimed in. I hadn't even noticed her sitting off to the side with Jasper.

I couldn't tell them, they wouldn't understand. "I was doing it for…for fun. Just for the adrenaline rush."

"Wow." Rosalie rolled her eyes and bent over into her hands. She probably thought I really lost it, jumping off a cliff for fun. But it was the best excuse I could think of in such a short time.

"I really am sorry, I just didn't think about hitting the water, I guess I was only thinking about the rush of jumping." My entire family just stared at me, stunned. What was the big deal? I mean it was stupid, sure, but they needed to relax. The water wasn't even the problem; it was that vampire who almost killed me.

I heard Emmett mumble something about this being familiar but I wasn't paying attention, I was looking over at Jacob. He was angry, not as mad as before, but definitely not pleased.

"You jumped for fun? Really Nessie? That's honestly the reason you jumped?" He asked.

"Yes Jake it is. I told you it had nothing to do with what happened earlier." He turned towards my mother, giving her a weird look that I didn't understand and then sat back down on the couch looking frustrated.

"Like I said the vampire was the real reason behind this."

"Nessie not again with this vampire…" My mother sighed.

"Why don't you believe me?"

"I believe you Nessie and so does your dad." Jacob said, still not looking at me.

"You do?"

My dad nodded and Jacob raised his head to do the same. Well that was relief, I knew I could count on Jacob, and I was pleasantly surprised about my father.

"You actually think a vampire did this? Edward…" My mother was shocked.

"A reef couldn't have done that to her. Look at how deep the marks are."

She looked me over, shaking her head.

"But…why would a vampire try to hurt her?"

"No idea."

I was getting sick of this conversation; all I wanted to do was get some food. I was starving.

"Hey Jake you want to go hunting?" His head sprung up, obviously surprised I would be up for it.

"Absolutely not! You can't go hunting right now Nessie, you need to relax." My mother said.

"I slept all day mom, I'm starving. Besides Jake will watch over me." I smiled coyly at him. He returned the smile, but was still very confused.

"I don't know. Carlisle is this a good idea?"

"I think she'll be alright. Just take it easy okay?"

"I will, come on Jake!" I grabbed his hand and ran out before my mom could stop us. Finally it felt somewhat like before, when I didn't know how Jake felt about me. We were acting like best friends again.

My legs took off; it felt incredible to get them moving again. We ran in silence for a while, just searching around for food and sharing an animal or two. Every now and then he ask how I was doing but other than that, nothing. However, I constantly caught him staring at me and then looking down quickly when he realized.

I hated this awkwardness between us, it wasn't right. But what else could I expect, he was listening to what I said, we were friends. No more flirting or holding hands. Still we were allowed to talk to each other.

When we finished, I sat down on a tree stump by a creek that ran all the way from Forks to La Push. We used to come here a lot to play, it brought back memories and I couldn't help but cry a little.

"Nessie, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I turned my head so he wouldn't see the tears, he couldn't know how badly I was hurting.

He carefully wrapped his arms around my shoulders and I leaned my head against him. This was how it was supposed to be, comfortable, easy.

"So are you going out with Corey this weekend?" He asked. I didn't want to answer. Was he trying to torture himself?

"I'm not sure yet."

"Oh, okay."

It remained quiet for the next couple minutes when suddenly I felt his arms tighten and he chest become tense. Oh no, was the vampire back? I followed his gaze across the creek and nearly jumped with shock.

Sam was crawling across the ground, clutching his chest and bleeding terribly. My eyes widened, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. What the heck happened? Jacob jumped to his feet and shouted his name; Sam looked up before he collapsed onto the ground. A shrill scream pierced the air and then I realized it was mine.

Jake took a few steps back and then jumped over the creek, just clearing the water. He raced over, calling Sam's name over and over. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, should I get help?

"Jacob! Jake is he okay?""

"No! Get Carlisle quickly!" I immediately took off, running as fast as I possibly could. I wasn't registering what just happened, it didn't make sense. Sam who always looked so strong, so sure to me, and then to see him weak and in pain, it was too much to take in. My eyes begin to water, blurring my vision a bit but I reached the house and wasted no time finding Carlisle and telling him what happened. I led him to Jake and Sam, jumping swiftly across the creek to see Sam lying in Jake's arms, blood engulfing both of them.

Jacob was in shock as he held him, trying to check his pulse. Sam was hardly recognizable, there was so much pain in his eyes and I had trouble figuring out where exactly he was hurt, his whole body was covered in blood. What could have done this? It seemed Jake was at a loss too. The last time I had seen him like this was back on the beach and I couldn't stand it. Slowly I tried to back up; needing to get away, but I couldn't move my legs any further.

"Jacob…" I whispered. He looked up at me, debating whether or not he should leave Sam to Carlisle or stay. I didn't want him to leave his friend so I began to run back. But before I jumped, Jake's hand caught my arm and stopped me.

"Nessie I'm sorry. I need to stay with Carlisle and find out what happened to him. Are you going to be okay? You want me to call your mom to meet you?" I shook my head.

"No I'll be fine." He thought about it for a minute, debating whether he should take me home, but Sam needed him.

"Seriously Jake I'll be fine. I made it there okay just a minute ago. Stay." He nodded and went back over. I ran quickly, trying to think of what would be responsible for that. The only thing that could harm a werewolf was a…a vampire. Was the vampire actually behind Sam's attack? I couldn't think of anything else that could have done that to him.

I reached the house and found everyone still in the living room, huddled together.

"Nessie! What happened? Is Sam okay?" My dad asked.

"I'm not sure but he was really messed up. There was blood everywhere."

"Oh my gosh." My mother said, sitting down on the couch.

"I think a vampire did it. I mean what else could have done that to a werewolf?"

"Anything. If Sam was in his human form then anything or anyone could have hurt him." Ugh. She really didn't want to accept that there was a dangerous vampire lurking around. Not wanting to argue with her again, I got my school bag and took out some homework that I needed to catch up on. I wanted to feel like a teenager for at least a few minutes.

I finished in ten minutes and was left with nothing to do but wait around for Jacob to come back. All I kept thinking about was Emily and Harry and how worried they must be. I couldn't imagine something happening to Sam, he was just so tough. Even if my mother didn't believe it, I knew that vampire was responsible, it just made sense. Sam had saved me from her, she was probably angry that he got in the way _and_ he had scratches all across his face and chest, just like the ones I had.

As strange as it seems, I was actually tired again. My eyes began to close as I used my mother's lap as a pillow. She gently brushed my hair back and kissed my forehead. Within no time I felt myself drift off to sleep.

After what seemed like only fifteen minutes of sleep, I woke up to the sound of Jacob's voice, soft and calm. Not ready to fully wake up yet, I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be still asleep.

"Carlisle says he thinks Sam with be okay, but he was in bad shape."

"Do you know what did it?" It sounded like my dad.

"No clue but the cuts were deep, very similar to Nessie's."

"I know what you're thinking Jake but I really don't think I vampire would attack Sam or even Nessie for that matter. Why would they?" Even if the voice didn't come from right above me, I'd know it was my mother.

"Who knows? Thirst? Anger? Revenge?"

"Revenge? For what?"

"I have no idea Bells but there's obviously something dangerous out there and I'm not waiting around till someone else gets hurt."

I felt my mother take a deep breath but she didn't say anymore.

"Sam couldn't tell me much of what happened. He said he was running over here in human form when he was attacked from the side. He couldn't remember anything else. I'm going to search around the area and see if I find something." Instantly my heart dropped. I didn't want him out there searching for someone who could obviously hurt a werewolf. It wasn't safe. I was about to protest but then I remembered I was supposed to be sleeping. I thought Jake had already left but then he spoke again.

"I can't believe she's sleeping again. Is this normal?"

"She'll be fine. A lot of stress for one day." Carlisle answered.

His fingers grazed my cheek and then he was gone. I missed him already.


	14. Chapter 14

Nessie

All day long people I didn't even know were approaching me, asking whether or not the stories were true. Apparently someone at school is dating a guy in La Push and they were by the beach when I jumped. They saw the whole thing and felt that it was their job to inform the entire school of my "suicide attempt". Now everyone thinks I'm depressed and need psychological counseling. Great, just what I need, I'm sure Corey's really going to be impressed. Ugh, why was this happening?

Still I probably should have known something was up. The whole way to school Alice and my dad had been very quiet and kept sneaking glances my way. As many times as I asked them to tell me what was wrong, they didn't answer. Why wouldn't they warn me? I was so embarrassed and to make it worse I think some of my family members actually believe that the rumor is true, which was absolutely ridiculous.

I was sitting in Spanish, anxiously awaiting biology just so that I could see Corey and get this over with. There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to make up some excuse as to why he couldn't go out with me and then I would sit there, pretending that I didn't mind. If I ever find out who spread this rumor I'm going to get Jacob to beat them up.

Mrs. Roselle was writing notes on the board that were probably important, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't pay attention. Maybe I should have stayed home. My mother insisted that I take another day off but I assured her that I felt much better and didn't want to miss any more work. And I did feel better, much better. But I honestly had no idea what I was going to say to Corey in class and I was dreading the awkward silence that I knew would be awaiting me when I sat next to him. He would probably wait till after the bell rang to even say something, so I'd have to sit there for an entire hour bathing in the uncomfortable silence.

Trying to steer my mind away from him, I thought about Sam and how badly I wanted him to heal. Jacob got a call from Emily last night saying that Carlisle thinks he's going to be fine but he'll need five days to heal. Lucky him that he heals quickly, I couldn't imagine how long it would take if he couldn't.

By the time Biology came around, I had wearied myself out with all the worrying. Who cares if he doesn't want to go out with me anymore? It wasn't important, besides I loved Jacob. Corey was just a tool in my plan, not someone to get nervous over. I walked in and caught his eye right away and to my great surprise he smiled and waved. I waved back and made my way over.

"Hey Nessie, how are you feeling?" Huh? Was he even aware of the rumor spreading around school?

"Um…I'm good. Much better now."

"Glad to hear it. I missed you yesterday." My stomach turned. For some strange reason that made me kind of nauseous. I looked him over once or twice and then asked myself why in the world was I ever attracted to him? The more I stared at him, the less I found him appealing. His hair was full of gross gel and his smile was suggestive in a perverted kind of way. Then there was that disgusting looking scar across his jaw line and his knuckles were huge probably from cracking them. I knew I was being shallow and appearances didn't usually matter to me, but I suddenly realized how much better looking Jake is. Corey was still cute but definitely not as god-like as I thought when I had first seen him. Not vampire material for sure. Maybe it was because I had realized my true feelings for Jacob and now Corey just looked like an average guy, nothing special. This made me feel a little bit better but then I realized I had been just staring at him for nearly a minute without speaking.

I shook my head and looked straight at the chalk board as the lesson began. He continued to gaze at me with that stupid grin on his face and to be honest it was pissing me off. I kept telling myself just to ignore him but I remembered that the plan was still in action and I needed to pretend as though I was still infatuated with him. So I turned back towards him and gave a weak smile, batting my eyes, and biting my lip. Okay maybe I went a little overboard because his only reaction was to laugh softly and roll his eyes. Why not embarrass myself some more?

I took out a piece of paper and decided to go back to communicating through notes.

Hey so we still going out this weekend?

He took a quick glance at it and slyly wrote back, making sure the teacher wasn't looking.

Of course, if you're still up for it.

I'm always up for anything

I added a little heart to the end of it. This was more fun than I thought; foolishly flirting when not really having an interest in the guy at all. Playing with his head. Sounds evil but I was really enjoying myself.

Oh I'm sure you are. Jumping off cliffs for instance?

Oh no. He knew. And it didn't freak him out? I was at a loss for what to say back and I'm sure it showed on my face. He was watching me and just laughed at my reaction. That was weird; he didn't mind that everyone thinks I'm some suicidal, depressed girl?

"Were you trying to kill yourself?" He whispered softly in my ear. Chills ran down my spine as I slowly leaned away from him, tilting only head towards his ear.

"No, it was just for fun. I'm not suicidal; it's just a stupid rumor someone started."

"Thought so. Anyway do you want to go to the party with me tonight?" Party, what party? It's a Thursday…oh no wait, it's Friday. My days got all screwed up.

"What party?"

"Tara's, she's throwing one at her house tonight, her parents are away. Should be fun." That was strange, why wasn't I told about it? Then again I haven't actually spoken to any of the girls besides really quickly with Danielle in the hallway. She asked just like everybody else if the rumor was true and I had just shook my head not wanting to explain myself right then.

"Oh…well I'll have to ask my parents but yeah sounds like fun." Now this was going to be a challenge. There was no way my parent's would agree to this. But I had to go, this party was the perfect opportunity to prove to everyone that I make my own decisions and date who I want. I _had_ to go to this party.

"Great. Well give me a call and let me know. I'll pick you up around 9 o' clock."

"Sounds good." Just then the bell rang and we headed off to lunch. I made sure we walked in together and thought only about how much I loved Corey so that hopefully dad would get the idea and tell everyone else. Taking a quick glance over at their table, I noticed all their eyes on both of us, staring apprehensively and not looking away. We got our lunch together and then he kissed me on the cheek before heading over to his table. I had to admit it was kind of sweet and also cheesy at the same time. But it definitely got my family's attention. Emmett stood up, about to pounce when Rosalie and Jasper shoved him down.

I sat down and all three girls were staring at me the same way my parents had, but instead of frowns, they were smiling.

"Well that was sweet of him. God you are so lucky." Danielle said.

"Yeah he's pretty great…" I replied back, looking down at my salad.

"So anyway…what's up?" She said cautiously. I guess I had to straighten things out.

"Look I wasn't trying to kill myself! I was jumping for fun; I do that all the time. My foot just got caught on something and I nearly drowned until someone saved me." Eyes bugging out and mouths agape, they stared at me in awe.

"You almost drowned? Oh my gosh Nessie!" Tara squealed.

"Yeah but I'm fine, it's not a big deal."

"Yeah right."

"Seriously, well anyway so you see I had to take the day off, to get some rest. But that's all I swear. I'm not suicidal." Danielle and Tara looked like they believed me, but Brianna still look suspicious.

"Okay we believe you. But that's still really scary. Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine." Danielle and Tara looked relieved, which was really sweet. Brianna on the other hand looked like she could care less.

"That's good. So anyway on a brighter topic, Tara is having a party tonight at her house and you have to come. It's going to be insane!" Danielle said.

"I heard, Corey told me."

"_Corey_ told you? He knows! Oh my gosh, Corey Parker knows about my party…" Tara seemed to be in a daze.

"Yeah he invited me to come with him…"

"He's coming! Wow this is going to be the most amazing party of the year!" Danielle jumped up and down clapping with Tara. Brianna looked in a daze, staring off to the side.

"Hey Brianna you okay?" I asked her. She blinked several times and then smiled.

"Yeah perfect. Can't wait."

Something told me she was lying but I didn't have time to worry about that. I needed to figure out a way to convince my parents to let me go to this party.

The rest of the day passed slowly and when I finally made it outside, about to meet my parents, I felt a tug on jacket. It was Danielle.

"Hey Nessie, um I just wanted to let you know something. I was going to tell you after lunch but I lost you."

"Oh. Well sure what's up?"

"I swore to her that I wouldn't tell you but I think you have the right to know. It wasn't some couple that saw you jump off the cliff. It was Brianna." Confusion rushed through me. _Brianna_?

"Wait…Brianna spread the rumor?"

"Yeah."

"Why was she even in La Push? That's kind of a far distance from here to just be hanging out."

"I don't really know. She just told me she was walking on the beach and she saw you. Then I guess she thought it would be funny to tell everyone and make them think you're suicidal or something." She shrugged and I could tell that she felt bad. I still couldn't believe it. Brianna was responsible for all of this? Why would she do that? As if she read my mind, Danielle answered.

"She's jealous of you and Corey. She used to have a crush on him a while back and I don't think she ever really got over it. I mean who could, he is gorgeous." She laughed quietly and I smiled back. At least she told me.

"Well thanks Danielle for telling me. I won't say a word to her I promise."

"Thanks Nessie."

We walked towards the parking lot, waving goodbye as I headed for the car. I couldn't help but wonder why Brianna had to be so mean. She was very pretty and she had a bunch of other guys all over her every day. I guess that wasn't enough.

Alice, Jasper, and my parents were already in the car. Rosalie and Emmet took the convertible. I heard Alice's voice ringing when I opened the door.

"…ask you about a party."

Great, I could always count on Alice to tell my parents every single thing she sees in the future. I pretended like I didn't hear her and greeted everyone. The ride home was silent as I thought of several ways I could ask them. They obviously already knew what was coming but I needed the perfect way to convince them that I'm responsible enough to go. Hopefully my father wasn't listening in my thoughts. This was one of those moments I wish I had my mother's gift.

When we reached the house, Jake wasn't home, which would make this a lot easier. According to Esme he went over with Carlisle to check on Sam and would be back soon. Alright this would probably be the only time I could ask them without Jacob being here, so it had to be now.

"Hey mom, dad, um…I have a question." Their expression told me that they knew exactly what I was about to ask, but they didn't interrupt.

"What is it Nessie?" My mother asked as she took a seat on the couch across from me, my dad joining her.

"I was talking to Danielle and apparently Tara is having a party at her house tonight and I was wondering if I could go. I won't be out too late and I've really never been to a party so this would be a great teenage experience to have you know?" My parents exchanged looks while everyone else waited silently for their answer.

"Will her parents be home?" Ugh, I couldn't lie; my dad probably already knows that they wouldn't be.

"No." She took a deep breath. I already knew the answer. It clearly showed on her face.

"Honey I'm sorry but we don't think that's a good idea."

"We? Dad do you agree with her?" He glanced over to my mom and then nodded.

"Yes Nessie I agree. It's not safe to be there without any adults."

"Oh my gosh _please_ dad. It's not a big deal. If you say yes I won't ever ask you for another…"

"But…" He said.

"But what?" My mother asked him. My spirits raised, was he going to actually say yes?

"Since we all are pretending to be your age and we do go to the school…we could come with you, watch over things and no one would even know." I stared at him in shock. No one would know? Ha, they'd definitely stick out from the crowd. No way was my family going to lurk around the party and spy on my every move. No. That was almost as bad as not going. Besides, people would probably run out of the house screaming. The room was silent, as I took in everyone's blank faces. I could tell they weren't fond of the idea either, I didn't even think my dad was, but he was trying to compromise, like always.

"No. No way dad. I appreciate the offer, but seriously that would be weird."

"I agree."

"Me too."

"Count me out."

"Just let her go by herself." Rosalie said.

I was glad at least some of them were on my side this time. I turned back to face my parents who were whispering to one another.

"Alright, who exactly is going to be at this party?" My mother asked. Once again I couldn't lie.

"Well practically the whole school, but I mean I would be Danielle and the girls the entire time. You can trust me I won't get into any trouble."

"I don't know…it's just really risky Nessie…people are going to be drinking over there… they will be really wild and…" My dad said, thinking things over.

"Dad I know! But it's not like _I'm_ going to drink. Who knows how my body would react to that. I'm not stupid. Listen I promise I will be really, really careful and I won't be out late and I'll call you when I get there."

They still looked uncertain. I saw their eyes look past mine towards Alice and Rosalie who were motioning them to get let me go. I'll have to remember to thank them.

"Alright, alright. Nessie you can go but you have rules okay?" My heart sang; I couldn't believe they were saying yes!

"Okay!" I was jumping up and down, practically screaming with joy.

"Nessie relax now listen. Your curfew is ten…"

"Ten!"

"Fine eleven."

My dad whispered something in her ear.

"Alright fine eleven thirty. You cannot drink at all. Alice will be watching out for you the entire time so don't try anything stupid or we are coming to get you."

"Got it!"

"And we are your transportation there and home." Yes! Yes! Oh wait what? Transportation. Corey is supposed to be my ride, darn it.

"Um… mom…"

"What?"

"Corey is supposed to be my ride. I'm sort of going with him." The room was quiet again and I knew I just dug myself into a deeper hole.

"Corey? You're going with Corey?" My mom asked. She didn't look happy about that and my dad definitely wasn't okay with it.

"No. No way. I'm not letting him…" My dad began to say

"Edward relax…" Rosalie tried to calm him down.

"No Rose you have no idea how dumb this guy is. He can't be trusted. He'll wound up driving Nessie home drunk and crash into a tree. I'm not letting her…"

"Okay dad, wait. How about he just takes me there? Then I'll call you for a ride home." He thought about this, not knowing whether or not he trusted him to drive me at all.

"Nessie your father and I aren't comfortable with either…we don't know him…"

"Then I'll ask him to come in and meet everyone. _Please_. He's really sweet I promise."

"I don't think that's…"

The front door suddenly opened and in came Jacob and Carlisle. They were both smiling but then felt the tension in the room and became concerned.

"What's going on?" Jake asked.

"Nothing Jake…" I began.

"It's not exactly nothing Nessie…" My mother said.

"Alright someone better tell me." Jake was getting annoyed again. My mother sighed and I knew she was going to tell him, she actually thinks that he will be able to convince me not to go, it's obvious. Just what I needed, for Jake to get hurt even more.

"Nessie wants to go to a party tonight at her friend Tara's."

"Oh." He took a seat next to me and held my hand.

"Well I think she should be able to go. I mean she's smart, I'm sure she won't get into any trouble." He stared at me, smiling, trying really hard to stick up for me, which I greatly appreciated.

"I know she's smart. That's not my concern. She wants to go with Corey."

Jake froze, his grip tightening and then he let go. Sitting back, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths.

"Jake…" I tried to get him to look at me but he wouldn't. Then suddenly he stood up and walked to the other side of the room, his back facing us.

"She just wants him to drive her there; one of us would pick her up."

"It's your decision Bella. She's your daughter." He said, still facing the wall.

My mom took a deep breath and then sighed. "Alright he can drive you. But I do want to meet him, and you have to be home by eleven thirty."

"I promise! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I got up and hugged them both. Alice got up and walked towards me with Rosalie trailing behind.

"We'll help you get ready upstairs. You can borrow one of our outfits and we'll do your make up!" She was genuinely excited and I was grateful. Smiling, I let them lead me upstairs. I went to take one last look at Jacob but he wasn't across the room anymore. He was arguing with my parents quietly, and I just hoped he wasn't planning on being here when Corey came in. That would be interesting.


	15. Chapter 15

Nessie

I descended the stairs, trying not to trip in the two inch heals Alice had picked out for me to go with my dress. As much as I told her that this was just a casual party and that no one would be dressing up, she insisted that I stand out from everyone else. Rosalie tried to rein her in and eventually got her to agree to let me wear a jean jacket over the dress to make it less formal. Alice did my make up as Rosalie worked on my hair, brushing her fingers in random directions, trying to figure out the perfect style for my outfit. It wasn't that I minded when they did this, I actually like being dressed up, but I couldn't help wondering what my parents or Jake would say when they saw me like this.

When I was finally finished, Alice led me to the mirror and I stood frozen at the spot. I couldn't believe what was I was seeing in the mirror, was that even me? My makeup wasn't too heavy but the mascara and eyeliner brought out my eyes, lighting up my entire face. My cheeks were a little rosier and healthier looking and my lips were shiny. Rosalie kept my hair curly, but pieces of it were pulled back with rhinestone clips, and no longer fell on my face. The dress was a light blue, tight, and went down to right above my knees with the matching pair of low heels that actually made me much taller. The jean jacket set it off perfectly, making the whole outfit look surprisingly casual. It was exactly what I needed to impress Corey and hopefully my parents wouldn't say anything about the shortness of the dress. Alice and Rosalie beamed at me and I thanked them with a hug.

So as I made my way down the stairs, I managed to take my eyes off my feet and see everyone's reaction. To my satisfaction they all looked very pleased with my appearance, with Jacob as the exception, he just stared at me. Everyone else continued to smile as I made my way into the living room and I found it much easier to walk now.

"Oh Nessie, you look beautiful." My mother nearly cried as she walked over and hugged me. She then went to the hem of my dress and tugged it down a bit so it covered part of my knee. I rolled my eyes and laughed; definitely saw that coming. My father looked over at Alice and Rosalie, shaking his head, but a grin still lingered on his face. Even he couldn't deny that they were geniuses.

Jacob was off on the side, standing next to the couch, looking me up and down, still not smiling. I could tell he didn't approve of this outfit being worn anywhere near Corey and was worried, but I couldn't let that get to me. He was just being overprotective as usual and as much as I appreciated his concern, he had nothing to worry about.

"What time is Corey coming?" He asked quietly. I was hoping he was asking so that he knew when he could go out hunting or something. He couldn't be here when Corey arrived.

"I'm not sure, I have to call him." I walked over to my backpack and took out the slip of paper that Corey gave me in class with his phone number. My stomach started to do somersaults as I realized that he was going to be here, at my house, meeting my family.

He told me that he would be here in a half hour and time could not have gone any slower. After thirty long minutes of waiting around, he finally arrived. My heart was racing as I saw him pull up; Corey's BMW blended in perfectly amongst our other cars. As he got out, I noticed him checking out my mother's Aston Martin Vanquish, obviously very impressed. His face was calm but there was an edge to him that told me he was actually very nervous. My hands were shaking as I moved from the window and got ready to open the door. My family agreed that only Carlisle and Esme should be the ones to greet him at first, so it wouldn't overwhelm him. Then my mom would come out and introduce herself as my sister, while the others sat in the kitchen listening. I thought it was a great idea; the last thing I wanted to do was scare Corey off with my entire family jumping down his throat. Carlisle and Esme sat on the couch as I lingered by the door, too anxious to even answer them when they asked if I was okay.

I had warned Corey on the phone that my parents wanted to meet him, but he didn't sound worried at all and had no problem with meeting them. Even though I was no longer attracted to Corey, I still wanted to make a good impression. Whenever I decide to tell him how I truly feel, I'm hoping that in the end we can still be friends and that perhaps at some point Jacob might actually meet him and learn to like him. But I was getting way ahead of myself; right now my only concern is making my family actually trust him to take me to the party.

I could hear his footsteps coming up the stairs as I took a deep breath, trying to get my hands to stop shaking. The doorbell rang and my heart kicked into overdrive, this was it. I waited a few seconds and then opened the door to see him smiling at me, looking like a complete gentleman under the threshold. His hair was swiped back and he had a nice brown leather jacket on over beige shirt, with dark jeans. Even I had to admit he looked really good; perfect for meeting parents for the first time. My face broke out into a smile too as I invited him inside. Grabbing his hand, I led him into the foyer and introduced him to "my parents". Carlisle and Esme graciously stuck out the hands and introduced themselves.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you Corey. I'm Esme." She smiled widely and I prayed that Corey wouldn't take notice of how cold her hand was.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Cullen. You have a lovely home."

"Thank you."

"Hello Corey, I'm Carlisle, Nessie's father."

"Nice to meet you sir." He firmly shook his hand. I was very impressed by not only my grandparents but by Corey. He had the meeting the parent's thing down perfect.

"We won't be out too late. I'll get her home safely."

"Oh well that's sweet of you Corey but one of us is going to pick her up. We just feel more comfortable with that." Esme continued to smile; she had been prepped on what to say beforehand.

I looked over at Corey and his expression surprised me. His smiled faltered and he appeared almost insulted about not being able to take me home. But he pulled it together and smiled weakly back at them.

"Oh of course. That's probably best." Both Esme and Carlisle looked at one another and I knew they had thought his reaction was weird too, but they never stopped smiling.

My mother strolled out of the kitchen, holding an apple in her right hand, acting as though she had no idea that he was even here.

"Oh, hello. I'm Bella, Nessie's sister." She stuck out her other hand and he shook it politely.

"Hi I'm Corey. I've seen you in school; it's nice to finally meet you."

"Same here. Oh wow Nessie you look great!"

"Yeah you look very beautiful Nessie." He smiled at me, and I felt myself begin to blush, but it wasn't because of the compliment. He was looking me up and down in a completely different way than how Jake had done it earlier. It was as if he was analyzing every inch of me, trying to see what was under my clothes… Someone cleared their throat and I realized it was my mother.

"So Corey how old are you exactly?" She asked, sounding more like a mother now than a sister.

"Um… I'm eighteen."

"Eighteen huh? So do you date younger girls often or do you just like to prey on pretty…"

"Mom!" I instantly realized my mistake and backtracked, turning my head towards Esme.

"Mom Corey and I are going to leave now. I'll call you around eleven thirty for a ride." I began dragging Corey out when suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw a big dark figure approach. Jacob had entered the room.

"Jake what are you doing…?" I asked, panicking now. Why was he out here?

"Hi I'm Jacob, family friend. And you are?" He asked, shoving out his hand towards Corey who appeared taken aback.

"Oh, Hi I'm Corey." Thrusting his hand out right back. Jacob nodded his hand, staring him down.

"Jake we're going to leave now." I started, but Jake grabbed my other wrist to stop me.

"Wait Nessie, I was coming out here to find you. Before you go I wanted to give you this." He pulled a small cylinder bottle out of his pocket and I realized what it was, pepper spray. I was going to kill him. My mother and Jake exchanged a smile as he handed it me to put in my purse.

"Pepper spray Jake?"

"Yeah, it's important to have just in case someone gets a little too close to you." He said this all while staring straight at Corey. I was so embarrassed.

"Goodbye Jacob." And I finally broke free and held onto Corey's hand tightly, lacing our fingers together. I hope Jake caught that, he completely crossed the line back there. I knew my mother had something to do with it, but still, how could he be so rude?

"Sorry about that. My family can be a little protective of me." I said as we got in his car.

"No it's fine. You parents are really nice. Your sister is too but I don't think she likes me very much."

"Oh she does, don't worry. Like I said she's just protective of me." He smiled and pulled out of the driveway and into the woods we drove. He was silent for a few minutes, looking at me every couple seconds and smiling. Once again an unsettling feeling sat in my stomach, so I just turned my head towards the window.

"That Jacob kid is big. He seems like he _really_ doesn't like me. He's a family friend?" Oh great, now I would have to make up a story about Jacob. I didn't want to talk about him with Corey, it was just too weird.

"Yeah he's friends with one of my brothers. Practically family."

"He's also very protective of you."

"Yeah, I've known him for a while that's why. He just doesn't want me to get hurt."

"Of course." He sat there thinking about something and then suddenly spoke again.

"Does he think I'm going to hurt you?" I continued to look out the window, not sure what I should say.

"No, he's just taking precautions. Not just you but anyone."

"Oh come on Nessie. Pepper Spray?" I giggled a bit, it _was_ pretty ridiculous. Then I heard him mumble something under his breath. It sounded like "as if that could stop me" but I wasn't sure. I stared at him, watching him closely as he drove, wondering if he was really the gentleman I thought he was.

"So you excited for the party?" He asked me.

"Yeah really excited. This is the first big party I've actually been to." I was a little embarrassed to say that but it was true.

"Really?" I nodded, but he didn't look that surprised.

"Well then we're just going to have to make this one extra special." Then came the smirk again. I weakly smiled in return.

After another fifteen minutes of silence, we pulled up to a huge Victorian house. It was white with brown wood panels and a large oak tree right out front. Wow, I never realized how nice the houses were in West Creek. Getting out of the car, I could clearly see people moving around inside one of the windows, my heart began speeding up once again. Corey was suddenly next to me, holding my hand as we approached the house. He knocked and Tara opened it; her eyes bulging out when she saw Corey. I don't think she even noticed me.

"Corey! Hi!" She continued to stand there, one hand holding the door the other playing with the ruffle on her skirt. At least I wasn't the only one dressed up, that was a relief.

"Um…Tara?" I asked which got her out of the trance.

"Oh Nessie! Hey! Sorry about that, come in." She moved aside as we entered.

That house was even larger on the inside with a winding staircase, huge living room, and chandelier dangling from the ceiling.

"Wow Tara you have a really nice house."

"I know right. But it's nothing compared to yours." She said rather smugly but then cheered up when the doorbell rang again.

"Why don't you two go into the kitchen and get some drinks while I get the door."

Corey led me into the kitchen and that's when I fully took in who was here. At least forty people were spread around the house, talking, playing beer pong, dancing, or making out on the couches. Music was blasting from a very large and what looked like very expensive stereo system with the bass pulsing through my head. I could barely think. I then turned towards Corey who was staring at me like he was waiting for something. Did he ask me a question?

"What?" I asked.

"What would you like to drink?" He said.

"Oh nothing, I'm not thirsty." He raised his eyebrows and I could tell he wasn't buying it.

"I'll get you a beer."

"No Corey please, I really don't want anything." Now he looked frustrated, obviously wanting me to loosen up. Well he would just have to get over it.

"Nessie it's a party, you have to drink something or you'll look weird."

"Fine then get me a beer and I'll just hold it." He continued to stare at me in frustration and finally rolled his eyes and went off to get us beers. I tried to find Danielle or Brianna somewhere but they were nowhere in sight. Great, I really wanted to see them, I didn't know anyone else here.

Then I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around I was met with a pair of blazing green eyes staring straight at me covered my mousy brown hair. It was a boy who as he looked at me, seemed very dazed and disoriented. I had no idea who this guy was but he was just grinning at me, sweeping his hair back, and looking an absolute mess. I realized then that he must be really drunk.

"Nessieeee! Howww are youuuu?" He playfully rubbed my shoulder, standing only a couple inches from me, his breath smelling terrible. Yes, definitely drunk.

"I'm fine." I said slowly, trying to get away.

"Do youuu remember me? I sit next to ya in the class where weee write stuff." Oh English class, right I remember him. He was the quiet one who I always caught staring at me.

"Oh yeah right, I'm sorry I don't know your name."

"My name is Derrickkkk and you are very very very very pretty. You are probablyyy the prettiest girl in the whooole schooolll."

"Thanks Derrick that's really sweet of you. Um… I'm going to get a drink."

"No wait! Don't go!" He put his arms across my shoulders and leaned in really close to my ear.

"I know you are unhappyyy. But I can make you happyyy."

"What? I'm not unhappy."

"Youuu went kaplunk into the ocean and tried to die. But you can't die because weeee need to get togetherrr and do some stuff before you die, so you can't die." I rolled my eyes and tried to force his arms off me but he grabbed onto my hair and wouldn't let go.

"Get off of me Derrick!" He leaned his face towards mine as I attempted to shove him away. Then suddenly he was gone, flat on the ground and Corey was pulling me away.

"He's trashed. Sorry I didn't come sooner. Are you okay?" He asked, holding my face in his hands.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks." He smiled and handed me my beer.

"You know you should just have a little. Trust me the party would be a lot more fun if you drank."

"No thanks." I turned my head around still searching for a familiar face. Corey held onto my hand and guided me through the crowd and onto a spot on the couch. He finished his beer in a mere two minutes and got up to get another. I felt awkward and alone sitting on the couch, while everyone else danced and played games. I would join them but I was afraid I would scare them off. Every now and then I would see people glancing at me and whispering but I didn't care.

"Nessie! You're here!" I looked up and there was Danielle, almost tripping as she ran over towards me, Brianna right behind her.

Danielle fell into the seat next to me, giving me a huge hug. Okay so I guess she's drunk too.

"Hey Danielle, Brianna. How long have you guys been here?"

"We were here early and I gots lots and lots of alcohol. Oh Nessie I'm soooo glad you are here right now. I missed you sooo much." Brianna rolled her eyes, obviously she didn't have enough to drink.

"I missed you too Danielle."

"Have you dranken anything yet?" She cried, jumping up and down on the couch.

"Um…no not yet. Actually I don't think I'm going to drink tonight, I'm not really in the mood."

"What?" Both girls said at the exact same time.

"But Nessieee you haveee to drink. It's a partayyy!"

"You really should drink Nessie. It won't kill you." Brianna said, smiling at me and motioning towards the beer in my hands. Little did they know that it might actually kill me. I wasn't exactly a normal human being. But I _was_ curious and it was my first party. Maybe one sip wouldn't hurt. Shrugging, I took a sip as the girls both smiled at me, looking very pleased.


	16. Chapter 16

Nessie

I was having trouble swallowing the beer; it was repulsive. Why would anyone want to drink this? It was worse than any human food I had ever eaten and that's saying something. My face contorted as the taste lingered in my mouth, wishing that I hadn't given in. I pushed the beer towards Brianna to take but she insisted that I continue drinking.

"It takes a while to get used to but keep drinking. After a few more you won't even notice the taste." She smiled and shoved the can towards my mouth. I braved another sip and if possible it was worse than the first.

"Brianna this is disgusting I'm sorry. I can't…"

"Nessie stop being a baby and just drinnnnnk it." Danielle interrupted as she took another sip of whatever was in the red cup she was holding. She shoved the can once again towards me but I refused to give in. Chances were that I wasn't even going to feel any of the effects; my blood was completely different than theirs, if only they knew that their effort was pointless.

"If you don't drink it than you aren't sitting with us anymore at lunch." Brianna stated, looking dead serious. Was she threatening me? Of all people she had the nerve to say that when she's the one who spread that stupid rumor about me being suicidal around school. I was about to say something but then Danielle spoke.

"Oh pleaseee Bri, it's not that serious. Nessie you don't have to drink it if you don't want to, it's no big deal." Brianna glared down at her, but she didn't take notice. Then she turned to me.

"Fine don't drink it. That just proves I was right."

"Right about what?" I asked her. She was really starting to get on my nerves.

"That you don't belong in our group after all. If you can't handle a little beer than you obviously aren't the girl I thought you were. All three of us like to party and have fun but if you don't like to do that…" I felt the heat spread throughout my body, I was getting angrier by the second. Who does she think she is? The urge to slap her across the face was getting stronger but I held myself to the couch and tried to calm down. I belonged in the group just as much as anyone else. All I wanted right now was to prove her wrong; to knock that smug look off her face. Looking over at Danielle, whose eyes were moving back and forth between the two of us, and then down at my beer, I knew I couldn't let her be right.

Taking a deep breath, I put the beer can to my mouth and gulped down the entire thing, feeling queasy half way through. But I couldn't stop; I needed to show everyone what I was capable of doing. When I finished I laid the can down on the ground and looked up at Brianna with a wide smile, raising my eyebrows, daring her to say I didn't belong now. She smiled tightly; almost as if she was happy I proved her wrong. The taste was still in my mouth, but I ignored it. I was surprised at myself, I didn't think I could finish it but I did; this felt great!

Just then Corey came walking over staring wide-eyed, grinning at me.

"Wow Nessie I'm impressed. I don't know many girls that can down a whole beer in five seconds. I thought you weren't drinking?"

"I changed my mind. You wanna get me another one?" I asked. For some reason I felt that I needed to continue proving my point. One beer wasn't enough. If Brianna thought she was a real partier, she hasn't seen anything yet.

Corey smiled and about two minutes later he was back with another beer. I drank this one more slowly, pacing myself so I wouldn't get sick. Danielle had moved over and kept trying to start up conversations with Corey, who had taken a seat beside me. He was very sweet towards her even though she was all over him, touching his arm, and playing with his hair. I didn't mind one bit, it was actually quite hilarious to watch. Eventually Brianna figured Danielle had embarrassed herself enough for one night and dragged her away, winking at us before she left.

"So you feel anything yet?" He asked me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and leaning in. I moved back a couple of inches; he was getting _way_ to close. I was tempted to get out my pepper spray.

"Not really."

"Seriously? I thought by two beers you would at least feel a little different. Huh." He sat there pondering and I couldn't help but smile. Danielle, Brianna, Corey, they all wanted me drunk and it just wasn't happening; it was kind of funny.

"Well I'm going to get you another drink, I'll be right back."

"Okay." I continued to smile as he left. As I looked around the room, it was noticeably more crowded than before. People were also much louder and falling down a lot. I was actually really glad that being part vampire meant that I couldn't get drunk. Why would I want to make a fool out of myself when I can just watch everyone else do that? What's so fun about being drunk anyway?

Corey had returned but this time it wasn't with a beer. He had a red plastic cup in his hand just like the one Danielle had been drinking. I was afraid to even ask what was in there but I figured it couldn't hurt to drink. I took the first sip and realized instantly how much better this was than beer. It was a lot sweeter and I could barely taste the alcohol. Why wasn't I given this in the first place? I nearly gulped down the entire glass while watching Corey out of the corner of my eye, staring at me in awe.

"I guess you like this better huh? Girls usually prefer this to beer."

"Why wouldn't they? This is really, really good. Can I have some more?"

"Yeah absolutely, I'll be right back." I watched him leave and then out of nowhere I began giggling to myself. Nothing was funny at all but I couldn't stop laughing, what was wrong with me? As I looked around the room I began to feel very light headed, there was a pulsing beat in my ear and everything started to tilt. I rested my head back on the couch and tried to take deep breaths. Then it suddenly hit me what a huge mistake this was. My mother had said that Alice was going to watch out for me, she would see me drinking and tell my parents right away. If they showed up here I would die of embarrassment; that is if my family didn't kill me first. Oh no, oh no, oh no. I tried to lift myself up but I couldn't move. Why was this hitting me all at once? And what the heck was in that drink? I couldn't see Danielle or Brianna or even Tara anywhere. The room continued to spin as I stared up at the ceiling, attempting to reach in my purse for my cell phone. They probably wouldn't hear it but I needed their help, this was all just so confusing.

Before I could reach it, however, Corey was walking towards me with our drinks. He sat back down next to me and passed me the cup as he took a sip of his beer. There was no way I could take this, I was dizzy enough. When Corey saw that I wasn't drinking it, he pushed it towards my mouth and kept telling me to just down it and I would feel better. For some strange reason I believed him and forced the juice down my throat.

It definitely didn't make me feel better, just much, much, more woozy. The noise in the room all started to blend together and the music was causing my head to throb. Corey looked over at me; his eyes moving up and down my body and I felt very uneasy. But I couldn't move, as I continued to watch him watch me. This was not good.

"Coreyyy? How much have you drank?"

"Hmm…about five beers and three shots." Great, that was probably just enough to make him a complete drunken mess, just like me. How could this be happening? I'm part vampire for God's sake! Doesn't that mean I can't get intoxicated? Or at least I thought it would take more than a couple beers and some juice to do the job. But here I was unable to move as I watched everyone tip sideways and Corey begin to lean closer to me.

I knew what he was trying to do but I didn't want him to, he needed to stop. But as I tried to scream no, it came out as merely a soft whisper and did absolutely nothing. Luckily I was still able to move my head slightly to the right so that he missed his target. Then I felt his hot breath on my neck and a pair of rough lips pressing hard against my throat. He began moving slowly down my neck until he reached my collarbone. We were on a couch in the middle of a crowded room where everyone could see us, my heart sank. This was beyond humiliating; the last thing I wanted was for the entire school to see me being slobbered on by this creep.

Finally I managed to get enough strength to lift myself off the couch, right as he was finishing up giving me a huge hickey. But when I stood up, I saw the entire room sway. Corey was calling my name, begging me to sit back down, but I ignored him. I needed to find Danielle. Walking as fast as I possibly could without falling, I managed to make it out of the room and into the large foyer where people were huddled together, talking and sipping on their drinks. I shoved my way through them, not bothering saying excuse me, and began shouting Danielle's name. It was way too loud to hear anything, so I knew this was pointless. Then someone called my name behind me and as I spun I saw Corey stumbling my way. Oh no.

Quickly, I pushed through the crowd and tried to make it into the next room, but he was too quick. He grabbed my wrist and spun me around, clinging onto my waist and trying to pull me closer to him.

"Corey Stop! Please, please stop. Let go of me!" As much as I shoved against him, his hold didn't break.

"What's wrong baby?"

"I'm not your baby now let me go!" But he didn't listen. He just continued to grab at me and eventually got tired of my attempts to push him away and shoved me hard against the wall. Usually this wouldn't really hurt but right now I was feeling everything. It was as though I was just like everyone else, not stronger or faster like a half vampire was supposed to be.

"Nessie I know you want me." He whispered in my ear. I wanted so badly just to shove him off and punch him right in the face, but I couldn't. His clammy hands cupped my face and his lips were centimeters from mine now.

"Corey please no. I don't want…" But it was too late. His warm, dry lips were against mine, forcing my mouth open. His other hand caressed my thigh as he continued to kiss me passionately and all I could do was stand there. My arms were lying against his chest, not even trying to push anymore. It would do no good. He didn't stop for what seemed like five whole minutes and by the time he pulled away, my mouth was numb and had a very bad taste in it.

Lacing our fingers together, he began kissing slowly down my neck again, stopping only when he reached the top of my dress. I closed my eyes and imagined that I wasn't here with Corey, being groped in front of the entire school and drunk out of my mind. I thought about Jacob instead and how badly I wished I was with him right now, by the beach watching the wave's crash or even on one of our hunting trips. That would be so much better. But then I came back to reality when Corey whispered in my ear once more.

"Come upstairs with me." No, no way. I could not go up there with him; I knew exactly what he was going to try to do. I needed help but no one I knew was around. I shook my head at him, trying very hard to stay where I was. However, my strength at that moment was no match for his as he began tugging me forward.

"No Corey. I don't want to go upstairs. Stop." He wasn't listening and I felt myself being dragged towards the stairs, all the while pleading with him to just let me go. We had almost reached them when my brain suddenly focused enough to remember the pepper spray in my purse. I opened it up and there it was, lying next to my cell phone. Grabbing it, I shook it up behind my back, waiting for the perfect moment. He was looking straight ahead so I knew exactly how to get his attention.

"Hey Corey before we go can you kiss me again." He immediately turned towards me, smiling and all ready to put his lips back on mine when I pointed the spray nozzle right at his eyes and pressed on the button. All of a sudden he let go of my hand and covered his eyes, yelping in pain and I made my escape towards the kitchen. I stumbled past people trying to tell them that I needed help but they either ignored me or just though I was really drunk. And boy were they right.

"Help. Someone please help me. Corey is…" I couldn't finish my sentence. My entire body began to tilt but luckily I caught onto a counter edge before I fell. Walking in this condition was near impossible and I was about to give up and just fall to the floor when out of the corner of my eye I saw the bathroom with two very familiar backs facing me.

Squeezing through people I made my way over there and realized Danielle was sitting on the ground, leaning over the toilet. Beside her was Brianna, holding her hair back.

"Danielle! Brianna! I've been looking everywhere for you guys!"

Brianna spun around, surprised to see me standing there. Danielle lifted her head and she was even more of a mess than before. I wondered if I was looking at myself in the future. Her hair was not its usual straight, perfect strands; it was curly and frizzy, making her look like someone who escaped from a mental hospital. Her cheeks were flushed and her makeup was smeared all over her face.

Before I could stop myself I began giggling even though it really wasn't funny. Ugh what was wrong with me? Luckily Danielle was too drunk to care and just smiled before throwing up some more in the toilet.

"Oh hello Nessie. It's nice to see you followed my advice. How were the drinks?" She smirked up at me, and something about her expression told me this was all a part of some little plan of hers. But I didn't have time to worry about that, Corey was surely already looking for me and I had to get away.

"They were fine Brianna but listen I need your help. Corey he's…he's…after me! He's going to…" I was having trouble getting the words out. I didn't know why but it felt like I was just getting worse and worse. I had stopped drinking, why was this still happening? When was it going to end? My stomach felt queasy and everything was turning black.

"Brianna please…"

"Nessie you don't look so good. You should go lay down with Corey." She continued to smile coyly at me and then I noticed she was gazing at something over my shoulder. I followed where she was looking and there was Corey standing behind me. He wasn't angry like I thought he'd be, but grinning, appearing excited about something.

"No! No Brianna listen…listen to me he's trying to get me upstairs but I don't want to go. Please just help me. Don't let him…" Corey had wrapped his arms around my waist and was yanking me backwards out of the bathroom. But Brianna just sat there smiling at me, doing absolutely nothing. Why wasn't she helping me? I looked towards Danielle but she was already passed out beside the toilet and I had no idea where Tara could be.

I struggled against his pull but once again it didn't work.

"Brianna no help!" I screamed as loud as I could manage, begging her with all the energy I could muster.

"Have fun Nessie." She said and then slammed the door. Oh my gosh. What was I going to do?

"Come on Nessie, let's go have some fun." Corey said under his breath.

"No…no please…" The room was spinning so fast that everything was just one big blur. My eyes began to flutter as I felt my legs leave the ground and all of a sudden everything went black.

I woke up in a nearly pitch black room. There was a window not far from where I was laying that was shining some light in but other than that I could barely see. My head was still throbbing and the sickening feeling in my stomach hadn't left yet. I realized I was still very, very drunk and what was worse is that I couldn't move a muscle, like I was paralyzed or something. My arms and legs were splayed out across a silk cover and my head was resting against a pillow so I knew I was definitely in a bedroom. But it wasn't mine. As my eyes began to adjust, suddenly my heart sped up as I realized someone was on top of me, touching my stomach. I lifted my head up as much as I could and then groaned. There was Corey, his legs spread on either side of me and here I was almost completely naked. My dress and jacket were on the floor and all I had on were my heels, a bra, and underwear. I tried to move but my entire body was frozen in place. I'd never heard of alcohol making your body immobilized but I guess I had never really looked into it.

As I attempted to scream for help again, I felt my stomach being kissed by his disgusting mouth and I wanted to vomit. He was definitely not the gentleman I thought he was. He wanted to take advantage of me and well here I was his own personal prisoner and there's nothing I could do about it.

"Corey…Corey please stop. I just wanna go home…" He didn't answer, he just continued to lick my stomach and kiss the top of my chest. His hands felt their way up and down my waist, and tears began falling down my cheek. How could I let this happen? I was so stupid, I wasn't supposed to drink and yet I gave into peer pressure just to prove some stupid point. Just like I made the stupid decision of lying to Jake about my feelings. My family was right all along, I couldn't take care of myself; this just proves it. Everything they warned me about was happening right now and no one was coming to save me, I was alone. If anything terrible happens to me tonight, I am the only one to blame.

He continued to grope nearly every part of me and I have never felt more violated in my life. Where was Jacob when I needed him? Then out of nowhere it hit me, another idea. I prayed it would work but there was no guarantee, still it was worth a shot. In order to escape I needed to freak Corey out and what better way to do that than to display a bit of my powers. Now the only problem was I needed to touch him and right now I couldn't move. I tried to find some feeling in my fingers and eventually was able to move them slightly. Then I worked on finding my hand and then finally my arm. I was able to move it a little bit, maybe just enough to touch him and make him see images he will never forget. But he needed to move closer to me.

"Corey higher." I moaned the best I could manage. To my surprise he listened, smiling up at me, obviously pleased that I wanted him to do this. What an idiot.

Slowly I reached out and placed my hand on his cheek but to my dismay nothing happened. I was sending him gruesome images of him being beaten up and arrested by the cops, but he didn't react at all. What was happening? Did alcohol make me human or something? That certainly seemed like a possibility seeing that I was weak, slow, and not able to use my gift. Great, just great. The one time I need my gifts more than ever and I can't even use them.

Suddenly he stopped and knelt in front of me, taking off his shirt and removing his jeans. Oh no, this wasn't good. There we were both half naked as he leaned over me, kissing my lips forcefully. I squeezed my eyes shut and refused to open my mouth, but he eventually got his way. This was not happening, this was not happening, this was not happening. I kept saying that over and over but it really was happening. He leaned down and whispered,

"Relax Nessie. It will be over quickly." Oh God. I wasn't ready. Not him, oh please not him. My eyes still shut; I began to sob, straining against the force that was keeping me still. I felt his fingers lightly touch my underwear and he was just about to pull them down when suddenly a loud crash filled the air and he was no longer on top of me. I opened my eyes and there was Corey, flat on the ground, moaning in agony, and holding on to his bleeding face. Looking around the dark room, I couldn't immediately figure out what had just happened. But then I saw him, standing in the corner. I smiled towards my savoir, thankful that he had kept his promise.


	17. Chapter 17

Jake

A jolt of fury ran through my body as I watched Nessie leave with Corey, lacing her fingers with his. Taking deep breaths, I tried to calm myself down, remembering what Edwards had said, everything would work out. But what if it didn't? What if she fell in love with this creep and I was left with nothing to do but sulk around as she planned their wedding? Alright maybe I was getting ahead of myself, but still it could happen. I felt Bella's hand on my shoulder as she led me to the couch; the rest of the family making their way in to join us.

I had fully intended to remain in the kitchen while Corey was here. Edward had mentioned that Nessie preferred that and I was completely willing to follow her request. But as we waited in silence, listening to the conversation, I noticed Bella's tone go from laid back sister to protective mother and knew something was wrong. Before going out there, she pulled me aside and said that if at any point she felt Corey couldn't be trusted, she would make it obvious and that I should go out there with the pepper spray she had given me. So when I noticed the change in her voice, I realized that it was my turn to make an appearance. Grabbing the pepper spray and placing it in my pocket, I walked out into the living room, ignoring everyone's pleads for me to stay in the kitchen.

I got to them right before they were about to leave and took a good look at Corey. He was worse than I expected; slicked back hair with way too much gel, designer clothes, and a somewhat brawny build. Nothing compared to me but he was definitely an athlete of some type. There was no way Nessie could be attracted to this guy; he was the epitome of high school jackass. The kind of guy who think he's so much better than everyone else. What was she thinking?

It was obvious he saw through my intentions as I handed Nessie the bottle of pepper spray, but at least knows what he'd have to deal with if he hurt her. I agreed with Bella one hundred percent, he was not to be trusted.

"I can't believe we let her leave with that guy. He has trouble written all over him." I said as we sat around the living room, discussing what just happened. Everyone was silent but it was clear they were all thinking the same thing.

"Maybe he isn't so bad. Perhaps we are judging him too quickly…" Esme said, looking around the room for some kind of agreement.

"I don't think so Esme. Just looking at him I knew he was bad news. He's the type of guy with only one thing on his mind; ask Edward, I'm sure he can tell you." I looked over at him but he was silent, staring down at the floor. After a few seconds, however, he spoke.

"He's right. We shouldn't have let her go. I kept telling myself that he wasn't all bad but his thoughts they…well there were rarely any moments when he wasn't thinking about her…" His fists began to clench as he attempted to steady his breath.

"Should we go after them?" Bella asked.

"That would really embarrass her, we should wait." Rosalie said.

"Wait for what? For her to get hurt? No we need to go get her now!" I was beginning to feel like Edward, anxious and angry that we didn't stop her when we should have.

"She has pepper spray…"

"Psh, pepper spray won't do anything."

"You also have to remember that she _is _part vampire. She's much stronger and faster than him so the chances of her getting hurt…"

"I'm not willing to take any chances Rosalie and I don't think any you are either. Do you want her to end up violated by that…"

"Stop it!" Rosalie stood up, breathing heavily.

"Of course none of us want that but don't you see what she's trying to do? She wants some freedom and she wants our trust and if we go over there and pull her out of the first high school party she's gone to, she will never forgive us. We just need to relax and give her some space. Alice will be looking out for her future right?"

"Of course. I'll go outside and look right now." She skipped over to the door, leaving us to do nothing but wait.

"I still don't think she should be there with him." I said, looking down at the floor.

"Neither do I." Edward agreed.

"Same." Emmett said from the back of the room.

"We can trust Alice. She'll see if there's any danger." Jasper whispered.

"Nessie is a smart girl; she can take care of herself. She's ten times stronger than Corey and if he were to try anything that she was uncomfortable with, I'm sure she could handle it." Carlisle said and I wanted to agree with him, but there was a part of me that wondered whether Nessie would really be uncomfortable with anything he did. She seemed to really like him and if he tried anything with her, she might actually let him. I tried to shake the thought from my mind. Looking over at Edward, I met his gaze. His eyes were weary and strained as though he was contemplating getting up right then and going after her. You should, I thought. I'll come with you. We can pretend to go for a run…

"I can't. We can't. They're right she needs her space. Alice will let us know if anything's wrong." He spoke under his breath. Right then Alice walked through the door, looking a bit distressed but not to the point where I thought something happened.

"What did you see?" Bella asked her.

"I'm having trouble locating her. It's all just really blurry. I'm getting flashes of things but they don't make sense. I don't understand why this is happening, whenever I concentrate really hard, I'm usually able to get at least part of her future clearly. It's like something is blocking my visions…" Jasper rubbed her back, encouraging her to take a break. It wasn't that I was angry at Alice, but it was just very frustrating. We needed to know what was going on. If she didn't get a vision within the next hour I was going over to the house myself and carrying her home. I saw Edward nod his head from the corner of my eye, agreeing with what I was thinking.

An hour went by very, very slowly. Every ten minutes Alice would go outside trying once again to see into Nessie's future, but failing every time. The anxiety was killing me and Edward and I discussed privately whether or not we should wait a whole hour or just go now. We decided that it would be smart to let Emmett in on the plan since he seemed just as anxious as us to go and would probably be useful if we needed to beat Corey's face in. We thought about Jasper too, but he was busy comforting Alice and relied too much on her visions. Emmett agreed to come with us and we were about to leave when suddenly Alice burst through the doors appearing worked up.

"Did you see something?" I asked as she stared open mouthed at everyone.

"Alice!"

"Yes…I saw something."

"Well what was it?"

"Nessie was um…she was…"

"Was what? Alice spit it out!"

"I just got a flash of something and I'm pretty sure that…that she's drinking. Or at least she's planning to...

The room was silent as we all stared at her, wide eyed and in shock. Nessie was drinking? What? She knew better than that! She promised she wouldn't, no…no she couldn't be drinking.

"Are you sure? Alice are you absolutely positive?" Bella asked, her hands were clenched a bit too.

"Yes she was drinking beer." More silence followed and then Emmet spoke.

"But I mean…do we even know if it will have any effect on her? Her blood probably won't even absorb it. I'm sure she can't get…drunk or anything. Right Carlisle?"

Carlisle was in deep thought and I could tell that he really wasn't certain. He had studied Nessie all through her childhood and discovered some pretty interesting things, but not once did he experiment with how alcohol would affect her body. And why would he? I don't think any of us expected her to ever drink.

"I'm…I'm not sure. I don't _think_ it would do anything but I've never done tests on that…I…I don't know…" Great, the best doctor in the world didn't even know.

"That's it we have to go get her _now_, before she does something really stupid. We don't know if the alcohol will do anything to her body but I'm not sitting around and waiting to find out."

"Oh yes you are! Don't you dare leave…" Rosalie began yelling but I completely ignored her and ran out the door. I couldn't risk Nessie being under any influence, who knows what she would do with Corey then? I ran as fast as I could, not really knowing exactly where I was going but having a slight idea as I followed the car tracks. Once they ended I would have to wing it.

However, before I could make it far enough past the Cullen's house, someone tripped me. It was Bella with Edward and Emmett right behind her.

"Hey what'd you do that for?" I asked, attempting to lift myself off the ground.

"Rosalie's right you can't go, not yet." Bella said but I wasn't planning on listening. Though before I could take off again, Edward stepped in my path. I thought he was on my side? Bella probably got to him.

"Just wait Jacob." Yeah thought so.

"I thought both of you didn't want Nessie anywhere near Corey? And now she's drinking! We _have_ to get her!"

"I _still _don't want her near him but I think Rosalie has a point. We should let her make her own choices…she wants some freedom…" Bella said, glancing over at Edward, seeking agreement from him. However he just stood there not saying a word; it was clear that he was on my side.

"Bella this is not the time to listen to Rosalie's little rants! She doesn't know what she's talking about…"

"She does Jake. Let's see if it does anything to her and if so _then_ you can go. There's no point in ruining her fun."

"Fun? Bella she's not having fun, she's obviously being pressured into drinking and whether or not it has an effect on her is beside the point. I'm taking her home; she's had enough _fun_ for one night."

"She's only been out for forty five minutes Jacob. Her curfew is eleven thirty, relax."

"I'm not waiting…"

"Yes you are! The minute that Alice sees the slightest hint that something's wrong I give you full permission to bring her home but until then…"

"Ugh Bella! Do you never learn? You are rarely ever right when it comes to this stuff! Remember what happened last time you told me to wait?"

She stared at me in silence and I could tell I had hurt her feelings. Just then Edwards growled at me and stepped over to comfort her. I felt bad but it was true.

"Look Bella I'm sorry but I just really care about her and I don't want anything to happen…."

"You don't think I care about her Jacob? She's my daughter. We _all_ love her very much. I'm sorry that this happened the way it did and I know it's all my fault…and I wanted so badly for you two to get together." Bella began to sob tearlessly as I watch Edward stare at her in pain. Then I noticed Emmett behind them, looking at the ground awkwardly, shifting back and forth on the heels on his feet. I knew he had no idea what to say in this situation and just wanted to go.

Looking back at Edward, he was thinking hard, about to say something but was debating. Finally he spoke.

"Bella this isn't your fault you know that. Jacob and Nessie…they…" He glanced over at me, cautiously phrasing his words.

"Jake…you remember when I said that I knew everything would work out between you and Nessie?" I nodded my head. What was he getting at?

"Well you see there's a reason I was so certain about that…I've been reading Nessie' mind even though I promised myself I wouldn't. But that night she came in after jumping off the cliff she…well she has this plan…" He suddenly broke off, his face becoming hard and his eyes wide with shock.

"Edward? Edward what plan?" He didn't answer but spun around facing back towards the house, nearly shaking. I haven't seen him go berserk like this since Bella was pregnant. What the hell was going on? And what plan did Nessie have?

"Edward what's wrong? Edward talk to me what is it?" Bella cried, tugging at his collar.

As I stared at the house where he was looking, I saw a tiny figure race out, yelling. It was Alice and she was screaming about something, but I couldn't understand what it was. Then as she moved closer I heard it and my heart began to race.

"Go! Go get Nessie now!! Hurry!!" What the hell was happening? Why was she freaking out? Was Nessie okay?

Edward hit Emmett's shoulder to tell him to start going and grabbed my arm, dragging me into a run.

"Stay here Bella!" He called back at her when she tried to follow.

"But… Edward what?" It was too late, we were running full speed through the forest and I didn't even know the reason behind it, just that we needed to get to Nessie and fast.

"Edward what did Alice see?" He didn't answer.

"Edward tell us now!" Emmett roared.

"She's…she's in trouble. Corey he…" But he couldn't finish. His face was contorted in such rage that even I was too afraid to ask anymore. Apparently Emmet wasn't though.

"Edward if you don't explain to us right now what is going on I swear…"

"He has her…trapped in a room…or he's going to at least. He's trying to…" But he didn't need to finish his sentence. It was clear we both understood because Emmett began moving faster, so fast that I could barely keep up. I would have changed into my wolf form but it would take more time than we had. Images flashed through my head, fueling the anger even more, which made it easier for me to keep pace with them. I couldn't believe this was happening. How could I let this get so far? I should have just left when I had the chance.

"We should have, I know." Edward said, his voice shaky, still clenching his fists.

Do you have any idea where the house is? I asked him in my thoughts, panicking as we shifted direction.

"Kind of, I know where the town is but we might have to follow someone's scent to find the exact house." Great, we didn't have time for this!

"I know but there's nothing else we can do."

"Can you two please stop having your own little conversation over there? I need to know what's going on too you know." Emmett scoffed. I forgot about him for a second.

"Sorry. We don't know exactly where the house is." Edward told him.

"Well that sucks. This is going to take a while and we need to get over there now!"

"Have any ideas?" I asked, and Emmett thought about it but no such luck. Looks like we are going to have to sniff some humans.

By the time we got to West Creek, it had already been ten minutes, who knows what he could have done to her by now? My body was convulsing and I could feel myself on the verge of changing into a wolf. But I couldn't, I needed to stay focused. If I rushed into the house as a wolf, people were bound to freak out a bit and then I would never find Nessie.

All three of us split up and tried to find a house with a lot of teenagers in it, but this was no easy task. There were three neighborhoods in this town and it could be anywhere.

"She didn't give you any street names or say what development it was?" I asked Edward once we met up.

"No I don't think so…wait…of course! I had completely forgotten. Corey was thinking about it when he was at the house…I remember it started with a B, B Street, I can't…he only thought about it for a second…" We waited in silence, knowing that every second that passed meant Nessie could be in more danger. Then Emmett lifted his head up, remembering something.

"Bradley Street? Was it Bradley Street?"

"Yes! That's it! Bradley Street, you know where it is?"

"Yeah I passed by it come on!"

We raced off towards a heavily wooded development and within minutes we reached Bradley Street. At least twenty houses lined the road so we quickly shot off, smelling the area and looking for movement in the windows. Then I saw an old Victorian house with several cars in front of it and people inside.

"Guys over here quick!" I sniffed the area and there were so many different scents mixed together that this had to be it.

"This is the house." I said as they reached me. Then as I looked across the street, there was Corey's BMW, we had found it. I was tempted to break its windows but knew we didn't have time for that; we needed to get Nessie out of there.

With me in the lead we ran as quick as we possibly could, practically knocking over the door and found ourselves standing in a large foyer with probably about thirty other people. I began shouting Nessie's name as did Edward and Emmet. Everyone had stopped talking and was just watching us with alarmed expressions, as we searched the house. Every time any of us got close to someone they jumped back, which I would have found funny if I weren't in such a panicked state.

Quickly we came to the realization that Nessie wasn't down here, she had already been taken upstairs. My heart plummeted as we exchanged expressions and raced up the steps as fast as we could without revealing ourselves as supernatural beings. There were about seven bedrooms upstairs so we split up.

The first bedroom I checked was empty, and the second had a very serious couple in it but definitely wasn't Nessie. The last room down the side I was checking had its door locked but that wasn't going to stop me. Using my right foot I kicked opened the door and what I saw made me freeze in shock. It took all of two seconds to take in what was in front of me. Nessie splayed out across the bed in her undergarments, Corey, half naked, sitting on top of her with his hands on her underwear, and lastly tears pouring down Nessie's cheeks, and her neck covered in what looked like rashes. My body suddenly went into overdrive as I punched Corey in the face as hard as I possibly could, knocking him flat on the ground, causing him to scream in agony. My attention then moved to Nessie who was still in the same position, smiling up at me, her eyes dazed and unfocused.

"Nessie…Oh God Nessie!" Running over to the bed, I held her in my arms, trying to get her attention. It was clear that something was wrong as her arms laid limp in mine. Her head looked like it was about to snap off her neck and I tried to keep it up but it wasn't working.

"Nessie what's wrong? What happened?" She continued to stare at me, smiling, not moving a muscle.

"Jacob."

"I'm here Ness, I'm here."

"I…I can't move…" It wasn't making sense to me, why wasn't she able to move? Alcohol doesn't do this, it makes you sick or causes you to pass out but I didn't think being paralysed was one of the symptoms. That's more for…Oh God.

Just then Edward and Emmett raced into the room and also froze in place as they took in the room. Corey was still on the ground, cursing his head off and muttering incomprehensible words. Nessie was in my arms, looking as lifeless as a corpse. As for me, I was pretty sure there were tears coming out of my eyes as I came to the realization that Nessie wasn't just drunk, she had been drugged. I was absolutely certain of it.

"Emmett go knock Corey out before I wound up killing him." My voice was so shaky; it surprised me that he even understood. But he went over to him and punched him straight in the face, knocking him out cold.

"What's wrong with her? What did he do?" Edward asked quietly, his whole body was shaking like mine but he was able to control his voice much better.

"He drugged her. She can't move."

"Jake I'm sorry." She whispered. My heart sunk even lower if possible. Just looking at her fragile, limp body in my arms, I couldn't stand it.

"We need to get her to Carlisle. It was probably a date rape drug or something." Emmett said from the ground as he inspected Corey's pant pockets for anything.

Oh God, a date rape drug. If we hadn't showed up when we did I couldn't even imagine what would have happened. I clung to her tighter and knew that she needed to get home, but I was afraid to move her. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw people peeking into the room. Some brave teenagers wanted to see what was happening, but I couldn't look away from Nessie. Then I heard the door slam and a couple of squeals. Edward had shut the door in their faces.

"Pass me her dress; it's on the floor next to you." I asked him. Wrapping it around her body, I slowly lifted her into my arms and tried to calm her down. Tears had began to fall down her cheeks again, the temptation to kill Corey right then getting stronger. But I had to stay calm, I wasn't a murderer. However it looked like Edward was considering it.

He stood there, his face contorted in the most frightening expression I had ever seen on him as he stared down at Nessie.

"She'll be alright Edward." Emmett said, rubbing his shoulder. But he didn't move. Then he looked over at Corey.

"What should we do with the garbage?"

"Take him with you; I think we should teach him a bit of a lesson when he wakes up." Emmett smiled in agreement and swung Corey over his shoulder like a rag doll; then he jumped out the window. I followed suite, still carrying Nessie in my arms. When I hit the ground I looked back up waiting for Edward, who finally somewhat snapped out of his trance, but he still wasn't speaking. As I looked down at Nessie, her eyes had closed and she had passed out. Then I glanced over at Corey, feeling the rage nearly overpower; I could not wait to make him pay.


	18. Chapter 18

Jake

As we approached the house, Bella was waiting outside on the porch. She sprinted towards me, gasping when she saw her daughter passed out in my arms. Nessie was much paler than usual, her cheeks still stained with tears, and there were marks all along her chest that I had just realized were hickies. Looking over at Corey, still swung over Emmett's shoulder, it took all my restraint not to kill him right then.

"Take him inside." I told Emmett. He nodded and walked towards the house.

"Oh my God…what happened?" Bella cried as she held one side of Nessie close to her.

"She was drugged by that…that…" Edward was shaking so uncontrollably that I was half expecting him to change into a wolf at any moment.

"Oh no…no…no…" Bella began sobbing into my shoulder. I was at a loss of what to do. I couldn't exactly comfort her when I didn't even know how serious this was. I prayed that Carlisle would assure us that she would be perfectly fine, but there was no guarantee.

"Bella I need to take her to Carlisle." She looked up and nodded, finding comfort in Edward's arms as we made our way inside.

It appeared that Emmett had informed everyone on what had happened because they all just stood in the living room, stunned. Carlisle moved forward and told me to bring her upstairs so that he could run some tests on her. I wasn't sure whether or not I would be able to handle seeing her in that bed again, wires running through her arms, monitors everywhere. It was too much for me to deal with, especially when I knew that the monster responsible was in this house.

But as I made my way through his office doors, with Bella and Edward following, I realized that she needed me. I'd have to deal with Corey later. I set her down on the hard metal bed and looked away as Carlisle attached needles to her arms and pushed tubes through her nose. Glancing cautiously over, I took notice of his tense facial expressions, and the concentration he was using as he tried to figure out the damage. After five long minutes of waiting and me trying to drone out Bella's sobbing, Carlisle turned towards us, his face fairly calm.

"You were right, she was definitely drugged. From her symptoms it appears to be roofline, that's what caused her body to become paralyzed. It's wearing off now so she should be just fine." I exhaled deeply, trying to calm down my heart. She was going to be fine, thank God.

"So did the alcohol actually do anything or was it just the drug?" I asked him.

"I don't believe the alcohol really had much of an effect on her. It may have slurred her words a bit and made things more confusing but it wasn't enough to really affect her motor skills. What worries me is how much of the drug he had given to her. She's still very stiff so I'm guessing he gave her at least two, maybe more. If that much had been given to any human it would have surely done more serious damage but she seems to be recovering quite well." All I could think about was Corey and how badly I wanted to strangle him. I knew Carlisle wouldn't approve but I bet I could get Edward and Emmett to hold him back, they surely wanted him dead just as much as I did.

I knelt beside Nessie's unconscious body, holding her hand gently and running my fingers through her hair. Someway, somehow, I would make this up to her, she didn't deserve this. Tears slid down my cheeks and I knew I was about to lose it. Then I felt someone grab my shoulder and it was Edward.

"Let's go downstairs; we can't do anything for her right now." He said, but I didn't want to leave. Who knows what I would do to Corey if I saw him. But at the same time, I wasn't sure I would be much better up here, staring at Nessie. It'd just upset me more. Nodding my head, I stood up and left the room, leaving Carlisle to continue watching over her. Perhaps he would stay in there and I'd be able to take care of Corey without him even knowing.

"We can't kill him Jacob." Edward said quietly as we walked down the steps. Corey was still passed out on the floor. Then I spoke in my head,

Why the hell not? You can't tell me he doesn't deserve it.

"He does but it's not right."

Right? Right! Edward he drugged your daughter, he was about to…

"I know! I know that. But do you really think Nessie wants you to become a murderer? Think about it, as much as she'll hate Corey after this, killing him would just make her more upset." He had a point.

Then you do it.

"I don't want her mad at me either. Besides he doesn't even deserve to be killed. Let him live with what he's done." Well that's no fun. He probably wouldn't even care, I'd even bet that he's done this before to some other innocent girl. He couldn't get away with this.

"Oh he won't. I said we can't kill him. I didn't say anything about teaching him a lesson." He grinned slyly and I felt a twinge of excitement run through me. Who knows what Edward and Emmet were capable of doing when they were angry enough. I could only imagine.

Should we wake him up?

"No let him rest while he can."

"What are you two talking about?" Bella asked as we reached the last step. I completely forgot that she was next to us. Hopefully she wouldn't be opposed to some well deserved revenge on Corey.

"Just discussing what we are going to do to Corey." I told her and she looked down at the floor. I had a feeling she wouldn't like it too much if we tortured him. Then she lifted her head up and met our gaze.

"We should tie him to a chair." I froze in shock. Did those words just come from her mouth?

"What?" Edward and I said at the same time.

"Well I just think it'd really scare him if he woke up tied to a chair with no memory of how he got there…don't you think?" It was a brilliant plan; I just couldn't believe that it was Bella suggesting it. That was something I would expect from Emmett.

"Great idea love." Edward proudly beamed at her like she had just won first place in a marathon. We got some rope and lifted Corey's still body into the chair and tied him up.

"Where should he wake up?" Bella asked.

"Somewhere dark and creepy…our garage?" Emmet suggested. I hadn't even noticed him come in but it was clear he was all for freaking Corey out.

"Before we do anything we need get some information out of him first. Let him tell his side of the story." Esme was suddenly on the right side of me, staring at Corey with a mix of disappointment and sympathy. I couldn't believe she was even going along with this! I had thought for sure she would have already run upstairs and fetched Carlisle. What was going on here?

As we made our way into the garage, Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie had decided to join us. Even Edward seemed surprised that everyone wanted in on this.

"All of you don't have to be here when we do this. We can handle it." He said, looking more towards Esme than anyone else.

"I want to be here Edward, just to watch. I can't sit aside and do nothing." Then there were a few murmured agreements. They seemed set on staying so Edward just nodded and turned back towards Corey.

"I knew he was dumb but I would have never guessed he was capable of doing something like this."

"Oh please, I told you he couldn't be trusted. But _someone _thought it was smart to wait and let Nessie have her freedom." I stared over at Rosalie, knowing that it really wasn't her fault but she was partly responsible. If she would have listened to me in the first place this would have never happened.

"Shut it dog, how was I supposed to know?"

"She's right, no one expected this." Emmett defended her.

"If anything it's my fault. I should have seen something sooner…I don't understand why my visions weren't working…" Alice's shoulder slumped as Jasper comforted her.

"This is _not_ your fault." He told her.

"It's no one's fault but his!" Emmett pointed towards Corey.

"I say we rip his head off." Rosalie said.

"Agreed." Emmett started to walk towards him.

"Wait, wait! Esme was right we need to give him a chance to speak. We are only scaring him and maybe throwing in a few punches here and there but we can't kill him." Edward said as he stepped in front of them. I wanted to agree with him but there was a part of me that really was thinking about joining Emmett and Rosalie in tearing him to pieces.

"Oh yes we can!" Both of them tried to move around Edward but I stepped in. As tempting as it was, Edward's words still rang in my head, he was right, Nessie would be angry and we weren't murderers.

"Relax."

"Move!"

"No he's right. It would upset Nessie." They both thought this through and it was clear they realized it was the truth. Sitting back down, they scowled at the floor. Then Rosalie looked up, relaxing a bit.

"So what exactly happened when you reached the house?" She asked. Edward, Emmett, and I looked at one another, not really wanting to remember what we had seen. But since none of them spoke, I decided that I would tell the story, with as little detail as possible.

"We went inside, looked around, and then found her and Corey in one of the bedrooms. He was on top of her and then I punched him in the face. Nessie was really messed up so after Emmett knocked out Corey we left."

"You just left? Did anyone ask you questions while you were leaving? I mean I'm sure they had to be a little curious as to why you three came running in there in the first place." Rosalie said; her body tense and still.

"Oh well not really. A couple kids were peaking their heads in the room, trying to see what was happening but they didn't have a chance to question us because we used the window…"

All of a sudden Rosalie's eyes popped wide and her mouth fell open. Her body became even tenser as she stared at us in shock. What was wrong with her?

"You…you _jumped_ out the window?"

"Yeah…we couldn't exactly leave the way we came in with Nessie half naked and passed out in my arms." But she still didn't look happy. Her brow creased and her hands nearly bent in part of Carlisle's car. Then instead of glaring at me, she turned on Edward.

"How could you be so careless? What will they think when you've just disappeared out of the house?"

"Rosalie relax it's not that big of a deal…" Emmett said trying to soothe her, but she wouldn't have it.

"No Emmett! This is bad, very, very bad. Everyone is going to be suspicious of us! They already know that we are very different from them…I can just imagine the kind of monsters they think we are now. You've ruined everything!"

"Rosalie the majority of the kids there were intoxicated, I'm sure they won't even think twice about it." Edward told her, and I definitely agreed. There was no way they would take not seeing us leave as something really serious.

"It doesn't matter! Oh God! We're going to have to move now!" She began to pace back and forth, having some kind of breakdown. Someone needed to calm her down, it wasn't that serious. So what a few kids are suspicious that we are beyond human, they probably already thought that before. This just kind of confirms it more, but it's no big deal. Emmett stopped her, rubbing her shoulders and trying to make her breathe.

Just then I heard a groan coming from behind me and turned to see Corey lifting his head up slowly, his eyes trying to focus on his surroundings. He blinked several times, staring around the room, appearing very confused. Then suddenly his eyes widened and I could hear his heartbeat speed up. He looked down at himself, noticing that he was tied to a chair and in an unfamiliar place.

"What…what's going on? Who are you people?" He struggled to break free as he took in everyone's faces. Then he did a double take on me, it finally dawning on him that he was in trouble.

"Oh God…please…oh shit…don't hurt me…" He began to moan loudly, still frantically searching the room for someone who would help him. I saw his gaze linger on Esme who was in the corner, frowning down on him.

"Please you have to believe me, I didn't mean for it! I never meant to hurt your daughter I swear…don't let him hurt me!"

But Esme didn't move, she just continued to stare at him and then shook her head. His whole body was trembling and I thought about putting him out of his misery right then and there but I remembered what the plan was. We had to listen to his side of the story before we did anything.

"Alright Corey here's how it's going to work. You are going to explain what happened in your own words and we will listen. If you tell the truth, we will go easy on you. Lie and you'll be in an immense about of pain. Do you understand?" Edward explained to him.

Corey took another look around the room, realizing that we were all capable of hurting him and that he really had no other choice. Nodding his head, he slumped forward and tried to speak.

"I…I was really drunk…"

"That's no excuse!" I marched towards him, my anger taking complete control of me. I just knew he was going to blame his actions on drinking. I was planning on giving him a good punch in the face but Edward shoved me back.

"Don't Jacob, we promised to let him explain first." I knew he was right but I couldn't help it. I leaned against the jeep as Corey stared wide-eyed at me, afraid to continue speaking.

"Go on." Edward told him calmly.

"I…I really like your cousin…I never meant it to get that far I swear." He began shaking again and I was getting tired of this, he wasn't telling us anything that would make me change my mind in beating the crap out of him.

"Edward let's just do this. He obviously doesn't want to tell us what really happened." Emmett said as if he read my thoughts. Edward thought about it for a second and then nodded but Corey began screaming.

"No! No! Wait I'll tell you!"

"Alright then tell us!" I screamed back at him.

"We got to the party and everyone was drinking so I offered to get Nessie a beer. We sat on the couch and she kept asking for more drinks. As much as she had, it really wasn't working that well so I…I went to get her a stronger drink. It was some kind of juice they had and it seemed to be loosening up most of the girl's there so I thought Nessie should have some.

"I gave her the cup and she downed that one very quickly and she asked for another. When I came back she looked a little out of it but I told her to keep drinking. Honestly I just wanted her to have some fun…and then…"

"Then what?" Edward asked calmly. I couldn't believe he wasn't tearing him apart right then because I definitely wanted to. We all knew what happened next, he tried to take advantage of her and what really pissed me off was he wasn't mentioning the drugs he slipped her. I was about to interrupt but I wanted to hear him admit what he had done.

"Then we…we were kissing and afterwards she ran off to find her friends. She didn't want to go upstairs but I wanted…I wanted us to…do some stuff and eventually she passed out and I took her to a bedroom." My heart was pounding, my brain was turning fuzzy, I couldn't stop my shaking. I wasn't sure how much longer I would be able to hold my form together.

"And then what did you do?"

"I…I don't remember…"

"Liar!" And that's when I lost it. The tremor ran through my spine as my shorts and shoes ripped off my body and there I was, crouching in the garage in my wolf form. Corey's face was priceless and I was about to attack but Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper ran over and shoved me down. Everything was turning red as I stared down Corey. He was lying; he knew exactly what he had done. He drugged her, nearly raped her, and he here he was denying it! It was impossible to get through the hold of all three and with Jasper using his gift on me, I was slowly calming down.

Corey's scream finally pierced the air as he began bouncing up and down in the chair, trying to break free.

"Help! Help me!"

Edward was trying to make him relax but it wasn't working. Then he motioned Jasper over to make him calm down too. Eventually it worked and Corey had stopped moving. He just continued to stare at me, horrified.

"What…what are you people?"

"Don't worry about that. Worry about what we are going to do with you now that you've lied to us." Emmett growled back.

"I didn't lie I swear!"

"Then explain to us again what happened when you reached the bedroom." Bella said, now kneeling beside Edward.

"I…I tried to…" But he couldn't finish. He began to weep and it was so pathetic that I couldn't even look at him.

"I'm sorry. I really am." He murmured.

"So are we." Edward stood up as I tried to fight against Rosalie and Emmett's hold. I wanted to throw in a punch too.

"No! I told you the truth I did! You said you wouldn't hurt me if I told the truth!"

"You left out one important detail Corey. I will give you one more chance to confess to it." Edward told him, his face grave.

Corey looked down, thinking hard about something and then stared back up at Edward with pleading eyes.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about…" Edward sighed and I could tell he was getting frustrated.

"The drugs Corey. You drugged her! You gave her roofline also known as the date rape drug. That's why she was such a mess!" He screamed at him.

Corey stared at Edward with confusion and shock.

"What? No! I didn't drug her I swear!"

I felt my body begin to shake again; I couldn't believe he was trying to deny this too!

Then suddenly a big bang echoed through the garage but it wasn't Edward who punched him, it was Bella.

"Stop lying you no good, rotten…" She was trying to attack him, but Edward was holding her back. Why? Just let her go!

"Bella relax, relax!" He whispered to her, but she wasn't calming down.

"No Edward, he drugged her, he's lying! We gave him a chance!"

Corey was bleeding badly, his head still leaning over to the right and it was clear he was in pain.

"Please…I didn't give her any drugs…I've never bought roofline, I wouldn't…" He moaned quietly.

Edward let go of Bella who was now with Jasper trying to calm down. He took hold of Corey's shoulders and shook him.

"Tell the truth!"

"I am! I never slipped Nessie any drugs. It's true I was trying to get her really drunk so that we could do stuff but I would never drug her! I just figured she was really drunk! Please believe me!"

Edward stared at him, reading his thoughts, and then blinked a few times, looking surprised. Then he walked over to us and started to speak quietly.

"His thoughts are blurry but I think he's telling the truth. He doesn't have any memory of putting the drugs in her drink. I don't think it was him." He was trusting him? So what if he didn't remember doing it? He still probably was responsible, who else would have drugged Nessie?

While they discussed options, I had changed back into my human form, laying down on the floor now. Emmett looked over and rolled his eyes; opening the door of the jeep and handing me a pair of his old shorts.

"Thanks." I murmured. Corey looked at me with disgust and fear. Making my way over to him, I knelt down beside him and whispered.

"You better hope you're telling the truth." He continued to stare at me in alarm, and then slowly he nodded his head.

"I am."

Edward walked over and knelt on his other side.

"Alright I believe you, but if want to make it out of here alive, you have to try and remember who was around you when you got Nessie's drink. Think real hard about it." Corey obeyed and sat there for about three minutes, thinking.

"I…I really can't remember. There were so many people around, it could have been anyone."

"Name some people."

"Um…okay there was John Dale, Megan Williams, Pete Sanders, Mike…I don't know his last name…umm… Brianna, Nessie's friend, and…I don't know I few other people. That's all I remember, I'm sorry." Edward was annoyed but I could tell that he wasn't planning on hurting Corey anymore.

"Alright Corey. We are going to let you go on a few conditions." Corey nodded his head quickly, taking a deep breath of relief.

"One, you are never to touch, speak, or even write to my daughter again." He nodded once more.

"Two, you will never mention any of this to anyone and I mean anyone. No friends, no parents, no teachers, no one. Because if you do, trust me we will find out and we will kill you. Is that clear?"

"Yes." He whimpered.

"Three, if anyone asks where we went at the party; you tell them that we ran out the back door before anyone could see us."

"Okay…"

"And four if at any point you find out who drugged Nessie, you must tell us right away. Got it?"

"Yes. Yes I will I promise."

Edward untied him.

"Go home." Corey jumped to his feet and began moving towards the exit.

"Have fun walking home." I heard Emmett murmur as he made Corey flinch.

I stood up, disappointed that we didn't get as much revenge as I had hoped.

"We shouldn't have let him go just yet. I wanted to get in a few more hits."

"He learned his lesson trust me. I just wish he remembered who drugged Nessie…"

So did I because if I found out who it was, there was no way I was letting them get away as easy as Corey had.

"We are _so_ going to have to move…" Rosalie mumbled as she passed.

"Let's go inside and check on her." Edward nodded and we made our way back inside the house.


	19. Chapter 19

Nessie

This time I knew I was dreaming. I was back in the forest, trying to outrun something but I wasn't sure what. My legs were stiff and it felt like I was trotting through water; it was nearly impossible to move. Somehow I managed to make it back to the cottage and I locked myself in. Even though I was aware this was just a dream, my heart was racing and I couldn't control the panic running through me as I tried to hide from whatever was out there. Shaking my head a few times, I tried to wake myself up but it wasn't working. I ran into the kitchen and turned on the facet hoping to splash myself with some water, but when I turned it on it wasn't water that came out. It was blood.

Backing up slowly, I felt chills run down my spine, as I clenched onto the counter for support. Why was I dreaming this? I took a few deep breaths and then walked back into the living room. Slowly I pushed aside the curtains and looked outside. There was nothing there. With a sigh of relief I took a seat on the couch, hoping to wait out the dream here. Closing my eyes I continued to tell myself to wake up, but it still did no good.

Then suddenly there was a knock on the door. Jumping up, I cautiously made my way over. I wasn't sure why I was frightened, this was only a dream, nothing could hurt me. Still I found myself afraid to open it, who knows what could be out there? This _was_ a dream; it could be anyone or anything. But I told myself that if I didn't face it now, it would never go away. Opening the door a crack, I peered my head out.

"Who's there?" I asked quietly. Pushing the door slightly away, I looked around outside; there was no one there. I shut the door and backed up slowly, trying to calm myself down. It's just a dream, it's just a dream. As I continued to step back, I felt myself step on something. Looking down at my raised foot, I saw a necklace laying there.

I reached down to pick it up and examined it. It was gold, had a very long chain and from the looks of it was very expensive. Dangling off the thin chain was a golden heart encrusted with hundreds of diamonds and colored jewels. It was beautiful, something that would be worn by royalty no doubt but how did it get here? Flipping it over, there were initials engraved on the back. B.A.V.

I tried to think if I knew anyone with those initials but they didn't sound familiar. All of a sudden I heard the floorboards creak from down the hall. It sounded like it came from my bedroom. Clenching the necklace tightly in my palm, I walked down the hall, stopping in front of my room.

"Hello? Mom, Dad? Jake?" I knew it wasn't any of them but I couldn't help but hope. My muscles were tightening and my head felt dizzy as I stepped inside. Scanning the room, my body began to shake, awaiting someone to pop out of the closet and try to kill me. But no one was here once again. I wanted nothing more than to just get this over with but whomever it was kept disappearing.

I turned around, about to leave when the door slammed in my face. Twisting the knob back and forth, I tried to get out but the door wasn't opening. Oh God, no. I began to panic; I just wanted to wake up.

"Help! Help me!" I screamed as loud as I could, but no one was coming. Then I froze. My hair was being brushed across my shoulder, away from the back of my neck. Fingers were wrapping themselves slowly around my throat but I was in too much shock to turn around and see who it was. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried not to make any sudden movements but it wasn't easy. Suddenly I felt a cool breath close to my ear.

"You will die."

I choked back a cry and spun around to face whoever it was. But they were gone. Angry that I didn't see who it was, I began to tear the room apart.

"Come on! Show yourself!" I screamed erratically, not caring that this was only in my head. I wanted to know who was threatening me, who wanted me dead. Even though I was pretty sure I knew who it was, it still bothered me that I couldn't see her face. Not once did I really get a good look at this vampire who was trying to kill me. Why was she so secretive?

That's when I noticed I wasn't holding the necklace anymore. I was about to look for it when there was a knock at my window. My heart sped up as I expected to see that evil grin and those dark eyes. I nearly fell backwards in shock when I saw Jacob at the window smiling at me. This was an interesting twist. What was he doing here? But this was good, maybe he could help, he could protect me.

I went over to the window and opened it, letting him inside. He had no shirt on, just a pair of old shorts and I couldn't stop myself from staring. He _was_ incredibly gorgeous; I couldn't believe I didn't notice it before. Walking over towards me he took my hands in his, still grinning. This was the happiest I've seen him in a while. If only it was real.

"Jacob, I'm so happy you're here. You have to help me. That vampire who tried to kill me was in this room, she…" But before I could finish he placed his finger on my lips and shook his head. Slowly he ran his hand down my cheek, gently brushing the hair out of my face. I wanted to tell him everything, my true feelings for him, how I lied about not loving him, how all I wanted to do was spend the rest of my life in his arms.

"Jake I…I'm so sorry for everything." He continued to stare into my eyes, his smile faltering a little.

"The truth is Jake that I love you. I love you so much. I only said those things because…" His expression made me stop. It wasn't angry, it wasn't sad, and it wasn't happy. It was focused, focused on one thing and one thing only, my mouth. He cautiously began to lean in, our foreheads touching. Wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders, he moved his other hand to my back, pushing me closer to him. My heart sped up even though I realized that this wasn't actually happening. It still felt incredible. Every bone in my body was turning to mush; it was as if I was melting into his arms.

Our lips were centimeters apart when I woke up. I had never felt so much disappointment in my life, I couldn't believe it. As I attempted to lift my head, everything in the room swirled including Carlisle who was sitting next to me by some monitors. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was back to where I was before on the uncomfortable metal bed, with a blinding light hanging above me.

Carlisle took a deep breath and appeared very relieved that was awake. Smiling back at him, I tried to remember how I had gotten here but it was such a blur. All I could remember was my dream and how badly I wanted to go back to it.

"Carlisle what happ…" Before I could finish, I felt my stomach begin to heave. What was happening? Suddenly I was leaning my head over a trash can and gross smelling liquid was pouring out of my mouth. I was throwing up, I couldn't believe it. I had never thrown up in my life! After about ten seconds it stopped and I felt a little better. Carlisle put the can back on the floor and felt my forehead.

"How do you feel now?"

"Better."

"Good. You gave everyone quite a scare Nessie. I would lay off on the drinking from now on." He smiled at me, not looking angry or upset, just concerned. What was he talking about? Drinking what?

"Carlisle what happened? Why am I here?"

He was checking my pupils and then began to look at the monitor readings as he spoke.

"I figured you wouldn't remember; that's a common symptom of roofline." Roofline? Wasn't that a drug?

"You were at a party with some friends, do you remember that?" He asked, now sitting back down.

"I…I was at a party?"

"Yes you went with Corey." Corey…Corey…Oh Corey Parker. I remembered leaving here with him.

"I remember that…it was Tara's party right?"

"Yes. Do you know what happened when you got there?"

I tried to think the night through. We arrived at Tara's and people were dancing and drinking and Corey kept wanting to get me drinks but I wasn't sure what happened after that. I explained that to Carlisle and he sighed, leaning his head forward.

"I don't know if I should be the one to tell you what happened Nessie, I wasn't there."

"Well who was there that could tell me? Everyone was here weren't they?" He glanced up at me, debating on what to say. Oh God my family came to the party. Why couldn't I remember this? And what the heck happened to me?

"Let me go get your dad." He got up and left the room for only a few seconds and was back with my father, my mother, and Jacob. My heart kicked into overdrive when I saw Jake, smiling wearingly at me, relief filling his eyes. He practically ran over to me, rubbing my arms, and touching my cheeks but he didn't say anything. I smiled back, taking his hand.

My parents made their way over and my mother once again began to sob in my arms. I hated putting them through this. But it wasn't my fault this time, or at least I don't it was.

"Nessie thank God you're alright." My mother cried. My father was staring at me, smiling weakly and it looked like he was about to cry too. I was so confused as to what happened to me. And to make it worse I had wanted to prove to everyone that I could handle myself at a party and look what happened.

"She doesn't remember much of the night. Memory loss is often the result of the drug." Carlisle said to everyone. They looked at one another and clearly none of them wanted to explain to me what happened. But my father cleared his throat and decided to step up.

"I'm not sure what happened during the party exactly. All I'm aware of is that after several tries Alice was able to see into your future and she saw…"

"Saw what? Dad tell me."

"She saw you drinking and then later in a bedroom with Corey. You were a mess so me, Emmett, and Jacob ran over to try and prevent that from happening. We got there just in time." He looked intensely at me, his eyes filling with grief at the memory. Before what? What was Corey doing to me?

"What…what was he…?"

"The bastard drugged you Nessie. He drugged you so that he could take advantage of you. The alcohol wasn't working so…." Jake told me, taking my shoulders in his hands as if trying to convey how terrible Corey was. I couldn't believe that. No way would he drug me, he couldn't have…

"Jacob I told you I don't think he did it…" My father said.

"Oh please."

"Nessie we aren't sure whether or not he drugged you but nonetheless he still took advantage of you."

I looked at both of them as tears slid down my cheek. I couldn't believe he would do something like that. I wanted to remember what exactly happened so that I might be able to defend him but I couldn't. It was all so hazy. I guess Corey wasn't the guy I thought he was.

"Great. What's going to happen in school when I see him?"

"Don't worry Nessie he won't be going anywhere near you ever again." Jacob said, a satisfied smiled on his face. Oh no, what did they do to him?

"Where is he? What did you do?"

"We just threw in a few punches here and there but he will recover. And he won't say a word to anyone trust me." My father said, resembling Jacob now. They hit him!

"Jacob also freaked him out a bit with a little show." Rosalie said as she walked through the door followed by the rest of the family. They gave me hugs and asked how I was feeling but I couldn't answer. What did she mean he gave him a show?

"What show…Jacob what did you do?" I asked him. He looked around wearingly and then turned back towards me.

"Well he was really pissing me off so I kind of freaked out…"

"Freaked out…as in changed into a wolf?" Please say no, please say no….

"Umm… yeah…but he deserved the scare. Don't worry like your dad said he won't be telling anyone or he'll have to answer to us." Oh great! Biology was going to be a nightmare.

"Why would you hurt him?"

"Nessie didn't you hear what we said? What he did to you?" Jacob asked me.

"I heard but still, you should have let me deal with him."

"Well we would have let you get a hit in but you were unconscious and your father let him go." He gave my dad a glare and then looked back at me smiling. That wasn't what I meant.

"So if he didn't drug me then who did?"

"We have no idea, he's didn't remember who was near him seeing that he was a bit drunk himself but we'll find out." Jake reassured me. I was interested to know why anyone would want to drug me. I'm even shocked that it worked.

Nodding my head, I really wanted to get off this bed.

"Carlisle could I?"

He understood right away and began to take the wires off. Jacob wrapped his arms around my waist, helping me get up. I swayed and fell right into him, my hands lingering on his chest but then I remembered my family was still in the room and tried to stand up straight. I still felt very weak and light headed. I couldn't help but to think back on my dream and how close Jacob and I had gotten. I needed to tell him the truth. My stupid plan had failed and it was clear I wasn't ready to be free from my family seeing that I can't last one party without needing their help. But surprisingly that didn't bother me; it just showed me how much they care and how much Jake loves me. It actually felt good knowing that they are protective of me, because without them who knows what would have happened. Looking up at Jake and smiling, I felt more safe than ever.

No matter how much I tried not to, I continued to reminisce about me and Jake's almost kiss that really didn't happen. It had felt so good to just get the truth out there that I found myself continually thinking of ways to tell him how I actually feel. Every few minutes I caught him staring at me, watching closely to make sure I was okay. I didn't do much all day except relax on the couch with him and watch some movies. Everyone went hunting for the weekend so it was just the two of us. My mother wanted to stay home with me but Jake reassured her that I would be fine. He asked me several times if I was ready to go hunting but my stomach was still upset from the supposed alcohol I had drunk. I fell asleep several times laying in Jake's arms, still really wearied out from the good drugs Carlisle had given me and also partly hoping that I would revisit my dream from before. But it never worked. However, waking up to Jake's beaming face was good enough.

If I was going to tell him, it had to be this weekend when no one else was around. But I couldn't muster up the courage, honestly I was scared. All this time I have been lying to him; there was a part of me that was afraid that he would be angry about that and wouldn't love me anymore. Sure he imprinted on me, but his feelings could change once he saw what a foolish, lying, deceiving girl I am. I hurt him badly and it took me this long to realize how dumb and childish I've been acting. But I should do it now, to get it over with so perhaps we could enjoy the weekend together knowing we love each other.

"What's B.A.V?" He asked me. I sat up, startled by his question. How did he know about that?

"How…?"

"You were mumbling in your sleep. You kept saying B.A.V…B.A.V. Is that a person?"

That was weird; I didn't even remember dreaming about the necklace. I suppose I should tell him, maybe he would know who it was.

"Okay so I had this dream…" I didn't really feel like explaining it so I just pressed my hand on his cheek and showed him the dream stopping right before he arrived. He blinked a few times and then looked me over in concern.

"That's strange. I'd like to know who that was touching you…who it was threatening you because I swear to God if I ever…"

"Jake relax, it was just a dream. But those initials are still bothering me…I wish I knew who it was…"

"I don't know anyone with those initials…B.A.V…nope I can't think of anyone. Ask your parents, they would know if any of the Volturi have those initials, it could be one of them." Chills ran down my spine at that name. Even though I was very young when I last saw them, I had heard the story and remembered their red piercing eyes. If one of them was trying to kill me I didn't really stand a chance at winning.

I pushed myself closer to Jacob, resting my head against his warm chest.

"You going to sleep again?" He asked quietly.

"No…Jake there's something I want to tell you." This was it; I had to tell him now. He lifted my head up with his pointer finger and gazed into my eyes.

"What is it?" I knew exactly how I was going to start out, it was going to be forward and would definitely get his attention but hopefully it would work. Lifting my hand slowly I placed it on his cheek and showed him the last part of my dream.


	20. Chapter 20

Nessie

He sat there in silence, staring into space, eyes wide and mouth open. I let go of his face and waited for a reaction, but nothing was happening. After three whole minutes of not speaking I began to get impatient. Waving my hands in front of his face, I tried to get his attention but it didn't work.

"Jake…Jake say something please." He didn't answer. Alright I guess I'm going to have to do all the talking.

"Listen Jake I know I hurt you and I'm sorry. When you told me you loved me it came as a shock, I wasn't sure how to handle it and then I just kept thinking about my family and how they always try to run my life. I needed a way to show them that I'm independent and can make my own choices…so I chose Corey. Not because I liked him but because I thought it was the easiest way to make my point. I knew I was hurting you and the whole time I felt terrible, just awful. But I wanted so badly to gain their trust that I kept telling myself that you would get over it and that you would forgive me eventually….but now looking at your face I'm not actually so sure that's true." He hadn't moved an inch. Did he go into shock? Or was he just so angry that he refused to speak to me?

I took a chance and gently ran my fingers along his cheek and then under his chin, trying to make him face me. He was strong but so was I. Eventually his eyes met mine, still wide with shock. I decided to continue with my little speech and hopefully I would get a bit of reaction this time.

"Jacob every word I said to you at the beach was a lie. I knew right away that I had feelings for you too; it just took you telling me first to make me realize…if that makes sense. I'm hoping that you can forgive me for being so careless about your feelings and still love me because I…I…" His eyes had softened and were gazing into mine with such astonishment that I wasn't sure whether I should continue speaking. He could either be angry at me or really happy, there was no way I could tell.

Taking a deep breath, I moved closer to him, cupping the right side of his face in my hand and placing the other over his heart.

"I love you Jacob. I always have." He began to shake but it wasn't in a way that made me think he was about to transform. It was a nervous shake, a jittering almost. Not being sure what that meant, I leaned in closer, trying to tell him to say something with my power but he just continued to watch me. My heart was racing, I was so afraid that he would break my heart just as I did to him. The need to know was getting stronger; I couldn't stand the silence between us.

"Jacob…" I whispered, positioning myself closer to him so that I was practically on his lap. We just sat there staring into each other eyes. What was he thinking? Was he purposely not speaking just to get me back?

Slowly I leaned my head closer to him, still watching his reaction. I gently placed my lips on his cheek, not leaning away, but pressing my forehead against his. Closing my eyes and hoping that he would follow, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling myself even closer. Then to my relief I felt his head turn towards me and his strong arms wrap around my waist.

My heart was beating out of control and my hands began to shake. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, should I kiss him? My nerves were beginning to take over and my mind was racing. It appeared that he had forgiven me but I was having trouble believing it. Could he really get over the lies and heartbreak that quickly? If so he was a much stronger person than I thought.

Then suddenly his lips were on mine and all my worries vanished. I felt myself melt into his arms just like my dream, but this was better, so much better. His lips were warm but soft, gentle, and felt incredible against the coldness of mine. It was a slow kiss, easy; comfortable. Placing my hand back on his cheek, I never wanted to let go. Every now and then he would groan and it made my whole body tingle.

We must have been kissing for at least five minutes when he needed to catch his breath. But we didn't move away, we just sat there gazing into each other's eyes, never breaking contact. He was breathing heavily, like he would after running for a while. His lips were slightly pulled up in a grin but the rest of his face was serious. I couldn't wait any longer so I leaned in again and captured his lips in mine but just for a couple seconds. He chuckled a bit and then ran his fingers through my hair, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. I rested my head against his, also taking needing some air. The sensation I got when we kissed was unbelievable, I had never felt so great in my life. I wanted to do it again and again. Opening my eyes slightly, I saw that his were still closed so I snuck a glance at his chest, loving the way in felt against mine. This was the closest we've ever been and I couldn't help but smile.

"Nessie…" He sighed, opening his eyes and staring back into mine. We were both smiling now, not being able to understand how we had gone from friends to lovers in such a short period of time. But it didn't matter; the only thing that mattered was that he still loved me, even after what I had put him through.

After several more minutes of kissing, we eventually moved into more comfortable positions but still held each other closely. Jake's expression was much better now, it was clear that he was ecstatic that I loved him, which was a relief.

"So all this time you loved me?" He asked, rubbing our entwined fingers across my cheek. I nodded my head.

"The whole time. I did it for selfish reasons Jake, it was stupid, but I felt at the moment it was necessary. I am so, so sorry." He just shook his head as if it was no big deal.

"I understand why you did it. Don't get me wrong it hurt, but it's what you had to do. I'm just happy you told me the truth now and not later, you have no idea how painful it was to go through the day imagining you with Corey. Bleh. I swear if he ever goes near you again I'll…" I cut him off with my mouth. I didn't want to talk about Corey ever again; he was something of the past, not important anymore.

"Jacob I love _you_. No one else matters." He nodded his head, smiling at the thought. He then blinked a few times as though just realizing something.

"What is it?"

"That's what your dad meant…it makes sense now…"

"What?" He looked at me and grinned sheepishly.

"Oh… well your dad said he read your thoughts the night you jumped off the cliff and…and he told me to wait and that everything would work out. You must have been thinking about something that made him realize what you were up to…"

"He read my thoughts?" Ugh, why did my dad have to have such an annoying gift? This whole time he knew! That is so embarrassing. I had hoped he was sticking to his promise when he said he would stay out of my head but obviously he wasn't.

"Well he tried not to but he was worried. Anyway its all clear now…what he meant." He beamed at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"So what do want to do now that we have the whole house to ourselves for the weekend?" I asked him, having a few ideas of my own.

"Want to go hunting?"

"Hunting? Jacob how can you think about food right now?"

"Sorry but I'm starving. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning."

"Why not? We do have human food here you know?"

"I know, I know but I'm just getting so used to raw meat, it's all I can eat. Anyway once I saw Corey yesterday I completely lost my appetite." I giggled; something told me as much as I wanted him to, Jacob was never going to forget about Corey.

"Stop he wasn't that bad."

"Are you kidding me? Nessie he was disgusting! His hair looked like an oil slick truck fell on it."

"Oh come on."

"I'm serious!"

"It wasn't _that_ greasy."

"Yes it was! And not only the greasy hair but the clothes, ugh, it reminded me of how your father used to dress…actually he still does dress that way." I slapped him playfully across the arm.

"Hey don't make fun of my dad."

"Sorry but it's true. Then again it's probably because they both have money." He stared at the floor, his mood shifting a bit. Rubbing his arm, I made him look at me.

"You think I care about money?"

"You do realize that I can't give you what you're used to. All these clothes and expensive things and…" I covered his mouth with my hand. I couldn't believe he thought I was that shallow. I never needed money to make me happy, it was just something we always had.

"I love you. Something as trivial as money would never change the way I feel."

"You say that now but how many years it is into the future, when we want to get our own place, and we don't have a lot of it…it might change your mind."

"Jacob Black you are being so completely absurd right now I could hit you. Listen to me, money doesn't matter to me at all. As long as I have you I'll be happy." Holding his face in my hands I kissed him again which ended that conversation.

I eventually gave into his pleading to hunt and we caught a few deer. It was a challenge not to give into my urge to kiss him or touch his chest, or be held in his arms, but I made it. Once Jacob was satisfied we began walking back to the house.

"I have an idea of what we can do." He said suddenly as we walked hand in hand. I broke out into a mischievous grin hoping he was thinking was I was thinking.

"We could go visit Sam and Emily, and maybe even Harry will be up." Okay not what I expected but I guess that would be nice. Besides I would have all night alone with him… The thought made me smile and then I realized I hadn't given him an answer.

"You okay?"

"Oh um yeah…yeah that would be really nice." We raced off in the opposite direction, reaching the house fairly quickly. Jake knocked on the door and Emily answered, smiling when she saw us.

"Jake, Nessie what a nice surprise, come on in." We walked inside and I noticed Sam splayed out on the couch, his chest bandaged up.

"How are you feeling Sam?" I asked him. He smiled as we walked towards him, looking much better than the last time I saw him.

"A lot better, almost healed. How are you feeling Nessie? I heard about what happened."

"You heard? From who?" I looked over at Jake but he appeared to be just as surprised as me.

"Jake was in wolf form at some point yesterday and some of the guys heard his thoughts. Not too pleasant ones either but when I found out I called Carlisle and he let me know what happened."

"Oh…well I'm okay. I don't remember much."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay so where's Harry, is he asleep?"

"I just put him down." Emily said, as she moved around the kitchen, cleaning.

"Well the Cullen's went off hunting so we didn't have much to do, thought we would drop by." Jake said as he began to play with my hair.

"Glad you did." Sam said while he looked at Jacob with a strange expression. I wasn't sure what he was trying to convey to him but Jake definitely understood because he nodded.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing." Jake said as he wrapped his arms around me. Then I noticed Emily beaming at us from the kitchen. She tried to hide her smile but couldn't.

"Okay is someone going to tell me what's going on? What's with all the smiling?" I asked them.

"We are just very happy your both here that's all." Sam said. I glanced up at Jacob who was rolling his eyes. Like I believed that for a second.

"Sam!"

"Alright, alright, we're surprised that you two are finally together. A good surprised, we didn't expect that. Thought you really liked that Corey kid but I suppose after what he did to you…"

"I always loved Jake, Sam, that had nothing to do with it." Sam raised his eyebrows and glanced over at Jacob who nodded once more.

"I had no idea but I'm so happy for both of you really." I smiled at him and then felt another pair of arms wrap around me and looked back to see Emily.

"You have no idea how great this is Nessie, its wonderful being imprinted on trust me, you'll love it." I laughed and knew she was right. I was already loving being with Jake, how much better could it get?

"So when's the date?" She asked as she took a seat next to Sam. I stared at her in confusion.

"Date? What date?" Jake froze, looking a bit embarrassed and also a tad annoyed.

"The wedding date of course! When is it?" Wedding? My heart sped up a bit; I wasn't ready to get married. I was really only seven years old; I couldn't possibly get married right now.

"Honey I don't think they are ready to get married just yet." Sam told her, smiling weakly at us.

"Of course you're ready! Why wait if you know you're going to do it eventually? Oh Nessie I think you should make it a fall wedding, you would look gorgeous in…"

"Emily we really aren't ready for that yet." Jake said, holding my hand reassuringly.

"Oh." She realized we were serious and appeared very surprised.

"Oh I just thought you'd want to get married as soon as possible but…but your right you have plenty of time." She smiled at me and I grinned back the best I could. Clearly Emily was one of those girls just like Alice who enjoy weddings and gowns and any excuse to get everyone together. It wasn't a bad thing but I definitely wasn't ready for that yet.

"But as soon as that time comes I would love for you to be one of my bridesmaids." I told her, trying to make her feel better. It worked.

"Oh Nessie I would love to! This is so exciting."

"Relax Emily. I'm sure it will be a while from now. They are just starting out." Sam told her, rubbing her back softly.

"I know, I know." I was glad I was able to cheer her up. Alice would probably act the same exact way, that should be fun.

After an hour there we decided to head home. I was very tired and although Jake pretended that he wasn't, it was clear he was by how slow he ran. When we were only a few yards away I slowed to a walk. As I looked behind me for Jacob, he wasn't there. Then suddenly I felt my legs leave the ground and gasped. He had snuck up on the side, lifting me into his arms.

"That wasn't funny." I said but began laughing anyway.

"Oh _really_?" We both began to giggle as he carried me into the house and up to one of the bedrooms. It was dark but I could tell right when he sat me on the bed that this was Rosalie and Emmett's room. The bedspread was made of some expensive silk fabric and there were at least five mirrors lining the walls. I leaned back, taking in the softness of the fabric and letting my eyelids droop. No, I had to wake up. We had the night to ourselves; this was an opportunity that probably would never come again for a very long time.

Sitting up, I watched Jacob go through Rosalie's drawers to find me a night gown. I'm sure she would just love to know what he was doing right now. He walked over and laid one beside me, leaving the room to give me a chance to change. Slipping the blue silk nightgown on, I went over to the closest mirror and ran my fingers through my curls, trying to make them look fuller. Then I swiftly sat back down on the bed.

"You can come in Jacob." He peered his head through and smiled, shutting the door behind him. Slowly he walked towards me, trying to keep his gaze only on my eyes. I leaned forward and pulled him down towards me so that we were only inches apart. He hovered above me as I wrapped my arms around him tightly and gently touched my lips to his. It was almost like he was uncertain that this was the right thing to do, but we didn't have time for doubts.

We kissed slowly at first, just like we had downstairs. However after a few seconds it became more intense. He was eager, it was clear, and so was I. He gently ran his hands up and down my arms, keeping a safe distance from anywhere else. But being the impatient person that I am, I didn't want to take things too slow. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pushed him closer to me, wanting to be as intimate as possible while we had the chance. But obviously he thought otherwise.

"Nessie…Nessie relax." He began to lift off me and I felt my spirits drop.

"What is it?" I asked but I didn't give him a chance to answer as I pressed my lips against his. He gave in for a couple seconds but then gently moved my face back.

"Nessie we have our whole lives to do this. Don't rush."

"Jake I love you. I want to be with you."

"And I want to be with you, but we shouldn't move so fast." Why was he ruining our fun and since when did he have such a moral center?

"I'm just surprised. I thought for sure you'd be all for this. Especially since we never get to spend the night alone…this isn't going to happen very often…"

"Nessie trust me, we will find a way to be together. Don't let that be the reason to rush things. Time is something we definitely have plenty of." He smiled at me as he stroked my face.

"Besides, I'd like to live long enough to marry you. I can just imagine how your father would react if he found out…I'm pretty sure I'd be torn into pieces." I sighed, knowing that he was right.

"Ugh fine. I guess we can just go to sleep then." I got under the covers and turned away, hoping that it would make him rethink his decision. But he just wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear.

"I love you."

Rolling my eyes, I sunk back into his arms and felt myself falling into unconsciousness.

"I love you too." I mumbled as the room became darker and darker.


	21. Chapter 21

Jake

There weren't words to describe how wonderful I was feeling. My arms were wrapped around Nessie's small frame as she slept soundly. I was barely awake myself, but seeing that it was two o' clock in the afternoon, I figured it would be pointless to go back to sleep. Her soft, copper hair was spread out across the pillow and I had a strong urge to play with it. But she was so peaceful looking; I didn't want to disturb her.

Instead I thought back to when she told me she loved me; my heart had never felt so full. At first I thought I was imagining things. I kept telling myself that it was impossible, that she couldn't love me. At the beach she had made it so clear that she only wanted to be friends. Who knew she could act so well? Or maybe I'm just really gullible but either way it definitely came as a shock. However, once I looked into her eyes I saw it there, the love, the guilt, the pain she was going through fearing that I wouldn't forgive her. How could she possibly think I wouldn't love her anymore? So she lied, so did I. I can't say I didn't deserve it. All I wanted to do was forget the past, forget about Corey, forget about the jealousy and pain I suffered and just be with Nessie. We were in love, everything was perfect…

"Ew, Ew, Ew!" All of a sudden there was a loud bang and my leg was being tugged at. Someone was pulling me out of the bed and before I knew what was happening I felt myself soaring through the air and into the opposite wall. Then something hard fell on top of me, a mirror, ouch. What the hell?

Shaking my head, I looked up and saw Rosalie staring at me looking furious. Her eye brows were pulled close and her eyes were full of rage. I immediately understood why, I had forgotten this was her bedroom.

"What the hell are you doing in _my_ bed!" She screamed. Emmett ran in and looked at Rosalie, then me, and then over at Nessie who had sat up quickly, looking startled. Her eyes found mine as I sat crouched on the floor, head still pulsing with pain from the damn mirror.

Rosalie followed my gaze and when she saw Nessie she gasped.

"What…what's going on here? Were you two...?"

Emmett's head twisted back and forth between Nessie and me, a smirk forming on his face.

"Oh my God." Rosalie said, covering her mouth with both hands and backing up slowly.

"Rosalie it's not what it looks like. We just slept together…" Nessie spat out without thinking.

"You what!" She screamed and then turned on me, marching forward. I was pretty sure she was about to kill me but honestly it wasn't my concern at the moment because Edward had walked in.

"No! No! Not like that, we slept… like went to sleep, next to each other. Nothing happened I promise!" Nessie cried and then she noticed her father at the doorway.

Edward's expression was a mixture of shock, confusion, and definitely was making its way to furious.

"What's going on here?" He asked quietly, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Dad…why are you home so early?" Nessie asked. He stared at her and then at the clock. She looked over at it and was surprised it was already two in the afternoon.

"Oh…I didn't realize we slept in so late."

"I found them together in my bed Edward! They were sleeping together!" Rosalie yelled, still staring me down. I stood up, wanting to explain to Edward what really happened but I didn't get a chance. Rosalie had shoved me back to the floor. I could tear her arms off if I wanted to but that probably wouldn't help the situation; so for both me and Nessie's sake I stayed seated.

"You…slept together?" Edward asked, ignoring that whole scene and staring at Nessie.

"Dad we slept next to each other, I…I didn't want to be alone so Jake just kept me company that's all I swear.

"What's going on up here?" Bella came walking into the room and gasped. She imitated Emmett and looked back and forth between the both of us.

"They slept together!" Rosalie yelled. God damn can't she shut up.

"They what!"

"Oh my gosh! Rosalie stop saying that! We did not sleep together! We slept next to each other!" Nessie screamed.

"Same thing Nessie!" Rosalie sniped back.

"No it's not. You're giving everyone the wrong idea."

By this time the whole family had made their way in and just stood there in confusion.

"What's…" Jasper started.

"Nothing!" Nessie and I yelled at the same time.

"Alright I think everyone just needs to calm down. Let's talk downstairs, it's too crowded up here." Bella suggested and left the room, taking one last glance at me. Everyone agreed and began to follow except Rosalie.

She moved over to the bed and held her nose while she pinched a section of the bed sheet.

"Ugh this is never going to smell right again." She glared over at me as I grabbed Nessie's hand and left the room.

Downstairs everyone had taken seats around the living room. As me and Nessie descended the stairs, all eyes were on us, speculating. Nessie squeezed my hand tightly and smiled up at me. I wasn't sure why but I was nervous. Edward had told me he was okay with Nessie and I being together but as he eyed us down I began to think he had changed his mind. There was an awkward silence as we came into the room and sat on the couch opposite from everyone.

"So…do you want to tell us what's going on with you two?" Bella asked, staring directly at me. I turned towards Nessie and watched her look nervously around the room. She obviously wasn't prepared for their reaction and really neither was I but someone had to explain.

"Okay well...Nessie and I are…are together now. It's a long story but she loves me and I love her…so that's that." Everyone's faces looked shocked with the exception of Edward who I'm sure read my mind.

"You…you love him Nessie?" Bella asked looking at Nessie now.

"I do. Very much." She smiled at me and I smiled back. Right then I realized that no one else's opinion mattered to me, as long as I had her. Edward cleared his throat.

"I'm very happy for the both of you, really but just because you love each other doesn't mean I'm okay with you sleeping together."

"But dad we didn't…"

"Fine sleeping next to each other. Either way it's not okay with me and I'm sure your mother agrees."

"Absolutely. I just…how…when…?" Bella was flustered. It was clear she just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that we all of a sudden are in love, out of nowhere. She seemed happy about it nonetheless which was a relief. Getting up slowly she made her way over to us and stood in front of Nessie, smiling slightly. Then she gave her a hug and began to sob and laugh at the same time.

"Oh Nessie I'm so happy!" She cried and then let go and hugged me next. I was stunned, where did this come from? I was sure she didn't want us to be together. Glancing over her shoulder at Edward he was surprisingly calm with a small smile forming.

This was too weird. But I wasn't complaining; it made things much easier with the parent's approval. Everyone else in the room seemed to be happy about it too, which was even better. Then I heard some stomping coming from the steps and Rosalie was marching down them, carrying her bed sheets, cover, and pillow cases. She glared at me and then shook her head while she made her way into the laundry room. I tried not to laugh but I couldn't help it, making her mad was really entertaining.

Bella then looked over at Edward who made a weird face at her.

"Oh right, well as excited as we are about this, what you did was really inappropriate. We need to be able to trust both of you and if every time we go hunting for the weekend, we have to worry about you two…"

"Mom it's not a big deal, you can trust us. We didn't do anything."

"She's right Bella." I told her. Thank God I stopped Nessie when I did last night, I couldn't imagine what would have happened if Rosalie had walked in and saw us with no clothes on.

Out of the corner of my eye, I snuck a peak at Edward, wondering if he heard that in my thoughts but it didn't appear so. He was staring at Bella, appearing very calm. Maybe he was trying to stay out of my head too, that would definitely make things easier.

"I believe you but even sleeping next to each is off limits. Am I clear?" We both nodded but I was pretty sure that neither one of us was planning on keeping that promise.

"And apologize to Emmett and Rosalie for sleeping in their bed."

"Sorry Emmett."

"Yeah sorry about that." I told him. He just shrugged and laughed.

"Doesn't bother me but Rosalie's going to be another story." He said and I knew he was right.

We both got up and walked into the laundry room where Rosalie was putting detergent into the machine.

"Rosalie we are both really sorry for sleeping in your bed. I was planning on cleaning it before you got home." Rosalie looked over at Nessie and smiled.

"I had no problem with you sleeping in it Nessie." She looked at me for a second and then back at washing machine.

"You don't smell like _dog_." I took a deep breath. Apologizing to Rosalie was not high on my to do list.

"Sorry Rosalie. I'll wash everything if you want." I told her using every ounce of effort I could manage.

"Now how would that solve anything? You'd just be touching it with your filthy hands again, making the washing sort of pointless, don't you think?" I had the urge to rip her head off, so much for being nice.

"Fine. Do it yourself."

"Nessie could I speak with Jacob alone for a minute?" Rosalie asked her. Nessie looked over at me and then nodded, leaving the room. Great what did she want now?

Once Nessie shut the door, Rosalie slammed down the detergent and stood directly in front of me.

"I just wanted to let you know Jacob that I'll be watching you very closely. Nessie may be in love with you but she's still very young and doesn't know what she is doing. If you hurt her…"

"Wait a second. Are you threatening me?"

"You're smarter than you look."

"You are actually dumb enough to think that I would _ever_ hurt Nessie? Wow Rosalie. Obviously you're too blinded by your own prejudice to see how much I love her. You look past all the times I've protected her and…"

"I've noticed it trust me. But that doesn't mean that you won't try to take advantage of her."

"You are unbelievable."

"Oh am I?"

"Why don't you just stick to brushing your hair and staring at yourself in the mirror and I'll take care of Nessie."

"Go to hell."

"See you there." I stormed out, ignoring the hissing sounds she made as I left. I needed some air. I marched through the living room, not paying attention to who was in there.

"Jake where are you…?" Bella started but I ignored her and walked out the door. It wasn't like I was running away or anything; I was just irritated and needed to get out of that house.

I ran off towards La Push, needing some company from my brothers. Being around vampires all the time was not healthy and I'm sure Nessie would understand. Phasing into my wolf form, I raced off though the woods, calling out names in my head. Within a few seconds I got answers from Embry, Paul, and Quil, who were not far from where I was. They were all thinking about something at the same time so I couldn't really understand.

When I found them they were huddled around a small, dark figure. Curious, I walked forward and peered through. What I saw sent waves of shock down my spine. It was a person. A girl, no older than Nessie, her body contorted in a sickening way and her face pale and blank. She wasn't breathing.

"What happened?" I thought.

"Embry found her a few minutes ago while he was running." Paul told me.

"Is she?"

"Dead. Yeah. Found her just liked this; I wasn't sure what to do." Embry thought. It was clear he felt awful about not getting there sooner, but it wasn't his fault.

"All her blood's drained so you know what that means." Paul chimed in. All her blood was gone? It had to be the vampire that was stalking the area.

"It's the vampire who attacked Nessie."

"How do you know?" Quil asked.

"Who else would it be? There aren't any other vampires around here who would kill an innocent person. It has to be her."

"Well then we need to tell Sam and start a search party."

"I've been keeping an eye out but I haven't seen anything…I don't understand…" Embry thought, his head drooping.

"It's our job to catch this thing and kill it." Paul said.

"Don't kill her right away. I want to see her." I told them. I needed to see who it was that tried to kill Nessie, to see her suffer. I wanted to be the one to tear her limb from limb…

"Relax Jake. We won't do anything to her until you see her okay?" Quil said.

"Geeze, psycho." Paul grumbled in his head.

He picked up the girl and ran off towards Sam's house as Embry and Quil stayed behind with me.

"So we heard about you and Nessie, congrats man." Embry said.

"Yeah I told you it would work out." Quil added.

"Ha yeah I guess you did."

"So how does it feel?"

"Incredible seriously. I've never felt so great."

"I know its amazing isn't it?"

"Aren't you two just so lucky?" Embry said, a little bitter as he bowed his head down again. I felt bad for him, he never imprinted on anyone.

"You'll find the one for you, don't worry."

"Yeah okay."

After searching the area with them for a couple hours I decided to head home, I was away from Nessie too long. When I reach the house and walked inside Bella was down my throat in an instant.

"Where were you?"

"I had to go for a run, get some air."

"You could have told Nessie, she was a nervous wreck. She wanted to go after you but I forced her to stay. Why would you do that?" I felt bad; I really didn't think Nessie would mind. I suppose I was just so used to her acting like she didn't care about me.

"Where is she?"

"She's in the cottage." I ran out the back door, hoping that she would forgive my carelessness.

When I got in the cottage, the lights were off but I noticed Nessie's bedroom door shut and light coming from under it. I knocked, feeling a tad nervous.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, can I come in?" She threw open the door and stared at me, appearing very upset. Her eyes were puffy and her face was paler than usual.

"Oh Nessie I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have just left like that." She backed away into the room and sat on her bed, staring out the window. I slowly made my way over, reaching for her hand but she moved it away.

Sighing I knelt beside the bed and tried to get her attention. She wouldn't look at me so I figured I might as well continue to apologize.

"Nessie please forgive me. I didn't realize it would upset you, I was being stupid. I've been so…" Then to my surprise she turned towards me, smiling a bit.

"So what?"

"Dumb…just really dumb."

"It's okay, you just really had me worried."

"I know I'm really, really…" But I didn't have a chance to finish because her lips were suddenly on mine. Kissing her was absolutely amazing, I could do it forever. I moved onto the bed, holding her face in my hands and leaning over her. The passion was rising when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Nessie? Jake? Let me in please." It was Bella. Always appearing at the most inconvenient times. Rolling my eyes I watched Nessie get up and open the door.

"Just wanted to let you know your father and I are here now. You should probably get to sleep, there's school tomorrow."

"Mom I slept till two today!"

"That's not my fault. If you don't sleep now, you will never wake up in the morning." Nessie sighed and I knew it was my cue to leave.

"Goodnight." I told her, pecking her cheek.

"Night." She said back.

"Goodnight Bella." She smiled as I made my way out. Now what was I supposed to do? I couldn't just sit around and do nothing, I felt too anxious for that. I wanted to be back in that room with Nessie. And I would be, I wasn't planning on listening to Bella. She may be Nessie's mother but she's not mine.

After a half an hour of waiting outside her window, I gently tapped on the glass. Suddenly her face was beaming down at me as if she knew I was there. Quietly she opened the window and I hopped in.

"We have to be really quiet, my mom will kill us both if she finds out your in here."

"I know. So we probably shouldn't do anything that requires any talking…" I smiled at her and she grinned back. Walking towards me she grabbed my hair softly and pulled me on top of her. We made out on the bed for about twenty minutes and then she stopped and yawned. I couldn't believe she was tired.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked her.

"No!" She grabbed onto the back of my head, forcing me to stay where I was.

"Let's just talk, quietly." I nodded my head and wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know…" For some reason, I felt like she wanted to say something but was keeping it in. She wore the exact look her mother always had on when she was doing the same thing.

"What is it?"

She looked up at me, debating.

"Nessie please tell me."

"It's just…I've been wondering about something…"

"You can ask me anything. I'll tell you the truth."

"It's sort of embarrassing…"

"Just ask."

"I was wondering if you ever…ever did it?"

I stared at her in confusion. Did what?

"Did…?"

"It. It Jake you know?" She was obviously getting irritated that I didn't understand. It…It….Ohhh….

"Oh you mean…it. No I haven't."

"Really?"

"Nope. Why does that surprise you?"

"No…well a little. Did you ever date before me?"

"Nope."

"So I'm the first girl you've ever been in love with…I'm the first girl you've ever kissed…?"

"Yep…you're the only…" Then I remembered I was forgetting someone and my whole body stiffened. Oh crap…

Hey everyone, so I'm going to back to school and that means the updates won't be as frequent but I'll try my best to write as quick as possible. And I just wanted to say thanks for everyone who leaves reviews, I really appreciate them. Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

Nessie

I didn't sleep very well last night. When I asked Jake if I was the only girl he ever loved, the only girl he'd ever kissed, I thought for sure that the answer would be a straightforward yes. But I saw the look in his eyes and I felt his entire body get tense as though he just realized something. That could not be good. My heart had sped up as an image of Jake with another girl kept replaying over and over again in my head. But it wasn't like I could be angry with him, I'm sure it was before I was even born, he didn't know about me then. He didn't know he was going to imprint on his best friend's daughter.

As many times as I asked him to tell me who it was, he wouldn't budge. He continued to assure me that I was the only one in his life that mattered and that anything from the past is forgotten. But that wasn't enough; I needed to know who she was. I needed to know if she was pretty, and when this happened. I needed to know how much he loved her, if he still loved her and why they were no longer together. Was I the reason? I needed to know every little detail about their relationship, I couldn't help myself; it was driving me crazy.

I eventually fell asleep after hours of begging and complaining to him. If he wasn't going to tell me voluntarily then I would just have to make him give in. Perhaps I should ignore him until he can't stand it any longer; that would probably work. He'd have to give in then.

But when I woke up this morning he was gone and I didn't see him before I left for school. I guessed that he didn't want to risk my mom waking me up and seeing us together. So as I sat in the Volvo, thinking about this girl who Jacob loved, or perhaps still loves, it hit me that I was going to see Corey today in school. Yet another dilemma in my life.

My family kept telling me how to act when I saw him and made it clear that I wasn't to talk or write to him at all. But why would I even want to? He took advantage of me; I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. I had Jake now. And even though Jacob was keeping something from me, I knew he would never hurt me the way Corey had.

"Don't worry I will be watching out for your future so if he goes anywhere near you, I'll know." Alice said as we got out of the car.

"If he even mutters a single word, let us know. We'll take care of it." Rosalie assured as she climbed out of her car that was parked next to us.

"I know, I know." It's not like I didn't appreciate their help but honestly I don't think Corey would be dumb enough to even look at me. He's not the brightest guy but of what I heard happened in the garage, I'm sure he wouldn't dare to risk his life to say something.

My mother came over and held me tightly; getting really emotional. I couldn't understand why, I was perfectly fine.

"Mom I swear I'm okay."

She nodded her head and let go of me, realizing that we were in the school parking lot and people might take notice of her little breakdown. As we headed through the doors, I couldn't help but feel nervous for reasons other than seeing Corey. I was sure that there would be some rumors spreading around about what happened to me the other night and I wasn't looking forward to all the stares and whispers.

My family dispersed themselves in different directions with the exception of Rosalie who was in my History class. As I predicted people were staring at me but once they caught Rosalie glaring at them, they quickly averted their eyes. I looked up at Rosalie who gave me a reassuring smile back and thought that maybe this was a good opportunity to ask about Jacob's other love interest. I don't think she could say no to me, especially if it meant ratting out Jake.

"Rosalie?"

"Yes?"

"Who was Jacob in love with before me?" Her eyebrows pulled together and it was clear she wasn't expecting that.

"Jacob won't tell me who it was but I figured you might know." She looked down at the floor now, debating on whether to speak. After about thirty seconds she gave in.

"I don't know Nessie. I never really concerned myself with the dog's love life until it included you. But I wouldn't worry about it…"

"Rosalie I know you know. Please just tell me, it driving me crazy!"

She stared at me, once again not sure whether she should say something.

"Nessie…I…it's not my place to say. As much as I'd love to tell you, I just can't."

I stared up at her with the same expression I use on Jacob to convince him to do something. It was obvious she was considering giving in.

"Ugh Nessie don't look at me like that."

"Please." We stopped outside of our classroom, still having a few minutes till the bell rings.

"I…alright but you didn't hear it from me."

"I won't say a word."

"This might be a little hard to take in but Jacob used to…" Just then a pair of thin, frail arms were wrapping around my shoulders, holding me tightly.

"Nessie! Oh my gosh!" It was Danielle, who had practically jumped on me. Behind her stood Tara smiling wearily.

"Are you okay?" She asked once she let go of me. Then she noticed Rosalie standing there, raising one eyebrow and not looking friendly.

"Um yeah…Rosalie why don't I meet you inside." She nodded, looking at Danielle and Tara one last time, and then walked through the door.

"I am so sorry about the other night. I was so trashed! Brianna told me what happened." I had completely forgotten about how Brianna, in fact I didn't even remember seeing her at the party. It was very frustrating trying to remember exactly what happened that night. The more I thought about it, I definitely did see her there, I just couldn't recall what we said to each other...

"What did she say happened?" This should be interesting. She probably made up another stupid rumor to try and cause me embarrassment.

"She told me that you weren't feeling well and went to lie down upstairs with Corey and then your brothers and some random Indian guy came running in the house looking for you." Wow she actually told close to the truth.

"Really?"

"You don't remember?"

"No. To be honest the night is such a blur to me. Did she say anything else?"

"Just that they came downstairs carrying you and you were passed out. I didn't see it but that is what she told me."

"Oh, geeze, well yeah I'm fine, just drank a little too much."

"I know what you mean. I passed out too on the bathroom floor! So embarrassing. Anyway how was Corey? Brianna told me you two were up there for a while before your brothers came." She smirked, raising her eyebrows. If only she knew the truth; but I couldn't tell her that. As much as I hated Corey, I don't want him to be known around school for doing that to a girl, at least not until I see how he acts around me today. I still had a little sympathy.

"Oh well we just kissed, nothing too serious."

"Are you lying?" Tara asked.

"No I swear, I'd tell you if we had done more." I still don't think they believed me but the bell rang and the two of them sprinted off, waving goodbye.

All throughout History I tried to get Rosalie to tell me who the other girl Jake loved was, but she didn't think it was the right time. So I tried after class but once again she told me another time was better. It was very frustrating.

The day passed by slowly and the only thought on my mind was that biology was getting closer and closer. I prayed that Corey would just ignore me and that he wouldn't feel the need to discuss the night. I don't think I'd even be able to look at him. It didn't help that during every single one of my classes one or more of my family members were there prepping me the entire time. All they kept saying is that I was to fill them in on every detail of the class and what he says. My mother wanted me to sit with everyone at lunch today so I could tell them but I told her it would be better to tell everyone about it at home, when Carlisle and Esme were there.

When Biology finally arrived, my heart began to beat rapidly. As I entered the room, I glanced up slowly, expecting to see Corey already in his seat. But to my surprise he wasn't there. Sighing deeply, I took a seat and stared ahead at the chalk board, ignoring people stares. Where was Rosalie when I needed her? Every time the door opened my stomach dropped and I began to panic. But every time it wasn't him. Maybe he wasn't in school today? He was probably dreading this as much as I am.

Just when I came to the conclusion that he skipped school for the day, the door opened and there he was. His eyes were fixated on the floor as he maneuvered his way through the tables, only looking up to sneak a peek at the tables, probably trying to find an open seat not next to me. But every chair had someone in it. Quickly he sat down and was staring at the table, playing with his pen. He looked cowardly and pathetic hunching over in his chair, leaning away from me.

Not once during class did he talk to me or even look over. I smiled slightly, glad that he was being smart. Every time I fidgeted in my chair I heard his heartbeat speed up. Maybe he thought I was going to pounce on him or something. Luckily today in class was just a lecture and we didn't have to partner up for anything. I couldn't imagine how that would work.

By the time class ended, I felt much better and was able to relax. While I gathered up my books I thought about how disappointed Emmett would probably be that he doesn't get to kill Corey. But I'm sure everyone else would be relieved. While I was thinking about this, my pen dropped on the ground and as I leaned over to pick it up, someone got there first. My heart plummeted.

Slowly lifting my head up, I saw Corey holding my pen out to me, smiling wearily. I snatched the pen and glared at him, as I walked passed him.

"Nessie?" He said very quietly before I could leave the room. I stopped, and I wasn't even sure why. I should be running away, what was I doing? I kept telling my legs to move but part of me was curious to see what he was going to say.

I turned around, staring at him fiercely. Looking at his face, it was the saddest I'd ever seen him. There was a mixture of fear, shame, and regret in his eyes but I felt no sympathy.

"I…I'm so sorry." He mumbled, appearing to be truly in pain. Good.

"You should be." I said to him. Then suddenly the door flung open and my father was standing there looking furious. As he strutted over to me, glaring menacingly at Corey, I could do nothing but just stand there. Corey had frozen at the spot, his eyes wide and face pale as a ghost. Pure fear was etched into his entire body.

"I…I…just wanted…I'm…" He stuttered. My dad had walked right up to him and was directly in his face, practically hissing. Then my muscles started working again and I stepped in between them, not wanting anything to happen, especially here.

"Da...Edward he just apologized. It's not a big deal." I said, trying to pull my dad away, but he wouldn't budge.

"Hey, what's going on here?" I forgot about the teacher in the room. My dad clearly had too. He looked like he was seriously still thinking about killing Corey but then he came to his senses. He began walking away, grabbing my arm and leading me out the door, all the while not leaving Corey's terrified gaze.

Rosalie was leaning against some lockers outside the classroom, not happy that my dad didn't do anything.

"He broke his word."

"I know that but only to say he was sorry. You really think it's smart to kill someone in a biology classroom with a teacher in the room?" I told both of them. Neither one said anything else.

In the line for food, they continued to stay silent, but I could tell they were having their own private conversation because I caught my dad nodding several times to her. When I sat down, the girls were already eating and discussing how drunk Danielle was the whole night.

"Hey Nessie. We were just talking about Danielle flirting with about every guy at the party." Tara said, giggling. Danielle groaned and laughed, covering his face in her hands.

"I wish I remembered."

"You don't remember anything?" Brianna asked, smiling slightly.

"Not really, I remember drinking a little bit with Corey but that's about it."

"That's too bad, it was a wild party. But I'm sure you had a good time with Corey in the bedroom." She said, raising her eyebrow. I shrugged. There was something weird about her expression; like she was enjoying some inside joke and I didn't like it.

"Like I said I don't remember much."

"Well anyway it was a great party." Tara said, obviously very pleased with herself for being a host.

"Where were you the whole night, I didn't see you?" I asked her.

"Oh I was all over the place just serving drinks and mingling and…"

"I'll be right back." Brianna interrupted, leaving the cafeteria.

"Where is she going?" I asked them. They looked at one another and then back at me.

"She's been doing that a lot lately. Just leaving randomly to talk on the phone with someone, I don't know who it is." Tara said.

"Yeah she's been acting really strange lately. She doesn't talk much anymore and she's usually in a really bad mood." Danielle said, looking down at the table. Something strange was definitely going on with her.

Then as I looked up, I saw Corey walk by, looking over at me with those sad eyes again and then over at my family's table who were all glaring at him. He quickened his pace and sat at his table.

"Is something going on with you and Corey? He seems upset." Danielle asked.

"Oh, yeah everything's fine. I just don't know if I want to be more than just friends with him. He's not really my type."

"Gorgeous, athletic, and sexy is not your type?"

"He can be a jerk."

"Yeah but he's a hot jerk." I laughed a little but didn't want to go into more explanation. I couldn't get this Brianna thing off my mind. She was definitely up to something.

"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." I got up and glanced over at my family's table. I told my dad in my head that I just wanted to see something and that I'd be right back and to not let anyone follow. He heard and nodded, looking concerned. The rest of my family was confused and my mother stood up but then sat back down.

Looking around the closest hallways, I couldn't find her. I didn't want her to see me so I tried to just peeked my around the corners slowly. After about a minute of searching I was about to give up, when I heard her voice. Slowly I followed the sound and it was coming from farther away.

Eventually I reached her; she was leaning against some lockers on her cell phone, appearing frustrated. I hid behind the wall and decided to listen in on her conversation. I know eavesdropping is rude but she was up to no good and I had to find out what it was.

"No! No I told you she doesn't have any idea….well that's just too bad, it's not my fault!"

"I did everything you asked me to do…well you chose him! He's an idiot. Yes…yes the whole thing I'm positive. You should have seen her." My heart was beginning to beat quickly, was she talking about me?

"She still has them…yes I'm positive I saw her with the shape shifter." Oh my gosh. I leaned in a little closer, I was so confused. She was talking about me…me and Jake. How did she know about him? Did Corey tell her?

"It's working on the small one. She's not getting through, but it wears off. That's how they knew."

"Well that makes a big difference! No…they got to him, I don't know what they did but he's a mess. Yeah."

"Tonight? Okay. Yeah well neither did Sarah but you had her killed. Fine. Tonight. Got it." Then she hung up the phone and began walking in the opposite direction. My heart was beating uncontrollably, my body was frozen, and I couldn't think. I couldn't put the words together. All I knew was that she knew about Jacob, which means she probably knows about me and my family…Who was she? Who was Sarah and who was she talking to on the phone? And what was she planning? Slowly I sunk down to the floor, overwhelmed by what I had just heard. This did not sound good.

Hey everyone I know it's been a while since my last update but college really leaves me no time at all to write so I don't know when the next one will be up, hopefully it won't be too long. This chapter is kind of short but it's as much as I could do. I appreciate you reviews once again and thanks for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

Nessie

It didn't make sense. None of it made any sense. I was frozen on the floor, unable to run and tell my family like I should have been doing. Brianna was dangerous, she was going to kill someone tonight, I was sure of it, but who? Who was she calling an idiot and was really messed up? Who was she using as a tool in her plan? Then suddenly it hit me, it was all coming together. Corey.

He was involved somehow in this, and at some point he must have made a mistake. That's why Brianna was calling him an idiot. He must have been part of a plan to hurt me. And when she said that they really messed him up she meant my family! It all made sense! Well some of it at least. But I couldn't waste any more time thinking it over, I had to find Corey. If I was right than she was going to kill him tonight. I didn't care if he tried to take advantage of me or took part in Brianna's plan. He probably didn't do it knowingly. Who knew what she was capable of?

I began to run towards the cafeteria when the bell rang. Damn it. It would be ten times harder to find him now. I swiftly dodged the doors swinging open and swiveled through the crowd. My parents were probably worried but I didn't have time to tell them. Jumping up and down, peeking over heads, I searched for Corey's greasy brown hair. Then I saw him, heading towards the gym with a friend.

"Corey!" I yelled but all I got in return were surprised glances from people around me.

"Corey stop!" I tried again and this time he heard. But when he noticed it was me, his eyes popped wide and his face appeared to be in shock. He motioned his friend to go as I walked up to him.

"Nessie? What's wrong?"

"You have to listen to me, you're in danger."

"Danger? What are you talking…?"

"Stay away from Brianna."

"Brianna? What does she…?"

"Just trust me. You have to go to the police. She's dangerous. She's going to kill…"

His face suddenly turned very pale as he stiffened and stared over my shoulder. I prayed it wasn't my dad; this wasn't the time to start something with Corey. Slowly I turned around and then tensed up myself. There standing behind me sneering at Corey was Brianna.

"Hello Corey…Nessie. I thought I heard my name." She said but without looking directly at me. They both continued to stare at one another, Corey, whose eyebrows were pushed together and who seemed very confused, began to retreat slowly. Looking back and forth between the both of us, he appeared very uncomfortable around Brianna.

"Don't be late for class Corey." She said, one side of her mouth still pulled up. He gave one more worried glance at me and left, not looking back. What just happened? Does he know what she's up to? He didn't seem like he did. He just looked very, very disoriented. I spun on Brianna, loathing her for whatever she had done and was planning to do to Corey.

"What did you do to him?" I asked, glaring at her fiercely.

"I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"The hell you don't! I know you're up to something Brianna, I heard you on the phone. You killed someone named Sarah and you are planning on killing Corey tonight and…" But I stopped because she her face didn't look like I expected it to. She didn't appear surprised in the least that I had heard her conversation, nor did she look angry. In fact, she was still smiling calmly at me as if we were discussing homework and not her plan to kill someone.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's not polite to listen in on other people's conversation?" She asked, raising one eyebrow but still very calm.

"Well when it deals with someone's evil plot to hurt a friend of mine then I think that counts as an exception."

She burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Oh Nessie, Nessie, Nessie. You are so cute sometimes. He's no friend of yours. Don't you remember what happened. Oh right you don't I forgot, perhaps I should remind you." Anger was boiling inside of me; I wanted to punch her straight in the face.

"Well let's see first he got you really drunk and then…"

"Shut up!"

"He brought you up to the bedroom and took off all your clothes…"

"Brianna I said stop!"

"And then your blood sucking father, uncle, and lover dog came to the rescue…" I froze. Did she say father and uncle? She knew, she knew everything; not only about Jacob, she was aware of what my family really were. In response to my reaction she laughed some more. If I wasn't in such shock I would have tackled her right then.

"How….how did you know…?"

"I know a lot more than that, Nessie and if I were you I wouldn't concern myself with Corey's safety. Someone more important to you might need the warning a little more." My heart began pounding and everything was turning hazy. Oh God, no.

"You know I've never attacked a werewolf before Sam, but I have to admit he was a lot of fun. He didn't just surrender like the others…he put up a good fight." My entire body began to shake. No…it was impossible, she couldn't be. It couldn't have been her.

"You…you were the one…?"

"Now why would you make an assumption like that?"

"It was you…you tried to kill me?" It was silent now, we were the only two that remained in the hallway. My heart was beating uncontrollably and I couldn't steady my breathing. She was here, right in front of me…but how? It was impossible, she wasn't a vampire, it couldn't be her.

She was about to say something but then her smiled finally faltered. Her head sprung up as if she was listening to something and it was clear she wasn't prepared for whatever was coming our way.

Leaning in closer, she spoke quietly.

"If you tell anyone anything I will kill your wolf, do you understand?" Here she was threatening me and I couldn't do anything about it. Obviously she was capable of terrible things and harming a werewolf was one of them. I couldn't let anything happen to him, I wouldn't.

"Your family is heading this way. You are to tell them that you were asking me if I saw who drugged your drink and I know nothing. Is that clear?" I didn't want to yes, I wanted my family to rip her to shreds, but there was no way I was risking it.

"If you don't agree I swear I will show no mercy when I tear…"

"I understand." She went back to smiling as I felt a brush of air next to me. My father, my mother, and Alice appeared to be the only ones able to get out of class to find me.

"Here you are, where did you go?" My mother asked me, aware that Brianna was there and she couldn't really reproach me. Little did she know that Brianna knew everything.

I glanced up at my father, hoping that he was paying attention to my thoughts. He quickly looked over at me with a worried expression but then composed himself.

She may know what we are, but I was sure she didn't know about my father's gifts, how could she?

Dad, she's dangerous, she hurt Sam, she's a vampire! I thought and I knew I sounded ridiculous. He looked at me once more, very confused now. Alice and my mother were staring at both of us and it was clear they were annoyed.

I know it's crazy but I swear she's…

"So Edward, your sister was just telling me that you think someone drugged her at the party. I did see Corey getting her a drink but like I told Nessie, I didn't really notice anyone putting something into the drink. It could have been any one of those boys." She said sweetly, completely masking any trace of the cruel truth.

My father just stared at her, smiling a little and then he nodded.

"That's okay, we will find out eventually." My mother said, eyeing her up and down. She knew something was wrong, maybe I was making it too obvious. Or worse maybe Brianna did know about my dad's gift and knew that I was communicating to him that way. I hoped neither was true for Jacob's sake.

"Brianna said she would let me know if she found out any more information." I said, trying my hardest to sound like she was doing me a favor.

"Thank you. Well we should all get back to class." My mother said, giving a very warm smile towards Brianna.

"Come on Nessie." Alice said brightly leading me to English.

I glanced back but my parents had already gone back to their classes and Brianna had left. Chills ran up my spine, as I thought about the possibility that she knew I told my father. There was no way I'd be able to sit through two more classes knowing that Jake might be in danger.

"Now are you going to tell me what is going on?" Alice said as we sat down. Emmett was on my other side, leaning towards us, anxiously awaiting my answer.

"Nothing is going on. Danielle told me that Brianna might have an idea who put the drug in my drink so I went to talk to her." I wanted to tell them, but I risked Jake's life already, it was bad enough my dad knew what I was thinking.

"You're lying." Emmett said, eyeing me down.

"No I'm not. Really." They both didn't believe me, that was evident, but it was better that they didn't know. Brianna was capable of much more than I'd given her credit for.

Across the room, Danielle was staring at me with confusion, I'm sure wondering why I wasn't sitting next to her like I usually do. I shrugged, hoping she took it as an apology. I wonder if Danielle knew anything about what her friend was really up to. I doubted it.

By the time the final bell rang, I was dying of anxiety. Every corner I turned I expected to see Brianna staring at me with that malicious smile etched on her face. But I didn't see her once. The whole car ride home I tried to convince my dad that I was being stupid and that I didn't mean anything I was thinking before. Of course he had told everyone else and as much as I begged them to drop it they wouldn't. I asked my mother to block my dad out of my head so I could be alone with my thoughts and after some deliberation she agreed.

Once I was safe inside my own head, I tried to put the pieces together of how Brianna could possibly be a vampire and have caused so much trouble. My dad should have been able to read her thoughts and tell what a vile person she was right away. But he never said anything. It just didn't make any sense.

I wanted to see Jake more than anything. His warm smile would make me feel so much better, I was so anxious I was nearly shaking. Running out of the car, I threw the front door of the house open, and began calling his name. My heart beat was getting faster and faster when he didn't answer. She wouldn't have…she wouldn't hurt him…she couldn't.

"Boo." I jumped at least three feet as my breath caught in my throat. Jake had snuck up behind me laughing loudly at my reaction.

"Wow I really got you. You're jumpy today. Usually you smell me and it doesn't work."

"Oh Jake!" I said and ran into his arms. He held me tightly, running his fingers through my hair.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Just really happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too."

We held each other for a few more moments when the door flew open and everyone filed in. Rosalie glared at Jake while my father cleared his throat.

"We are just hugging!" I complained.

Then to my surprise Rosalie didn't look disgusted anymore, she walked towards us, appearing somewhat weary.

"Jacob can I speak to you for a moment?" I glance up at him and he was just as shocked as I was. Everyone else wore the same expression as Jake shrugged and followed Rosalie into one of the back rooms. Curiosity was taking over once again. I hated that I was getting into this habit of eavesdropping but so far, it had been useful each time.

The rest of my family had spread themselves out. My mom and dad were at the piano, Emmet was leaning against the far wall as Jasper clicked through the television and Alice was next to him with her eyes closed, focusing on the future. Esme was in the kitchen hard at work on the blue prints and Carlisle was at work. So since everyone wasn't paying attention and I was pretty sure my dad's gift was still currently blocked, I snuck off to follow Rosalie and Jacob. There had to be a really good reason why Rosalie would want to talk with Jake and I needed to know.

Quietly I leaned my head against the door and listened closely.

"I swear to God if you told her…"

"Relax I didn't say a word, lucky for you. But she needs to know."

"I realize that. I just…I can't right now, everything is working out really well and…"

"Do you remember what happened last time you kept something from her?"

"Yeah. Yeah I know. I don't want to lose her trust again. But she will be so angry…"

"She'll understand."

"Yeah right. Maybe if I wait just a couple days, try to figure out what I'm going to say…"

"No! Tell her now or I will and trust me that will be _so_ much worse." My insides were tight again. I definitely have felt like this before, not too long ago when it was my mother and Jacob keeping something from me. Why was Jake doing this again? What was he keeping from me? I wasn't going to wait around for him to decide when he's ready to tell me, I wanted to know now.

"Tell me what?" I said as opened the door. Jake was not prepared as he just stood there staring wide-eyed at me.

"Jake? What are you keeping from me?"

He still didn't say anything and I was getting impatient.

"If you don't tell me right now…" Tears began to sting my eyes. I was so overwhelmed; the one person I needed, was keeping another secret from me.

"Alright. Alright, I'll tell you. Take a seat." He said nervously, motioning over to the small couch. I took notice that we were in the smaller living room that hardly anyone used; it was decorated beautifully of course, but very strange to be in. He took a seat next to me and then looked up at Rosalie, clearly wanting her to leave.

"I'll be right outside Nessie." She said and shut the door behind her.

I looked back over at him and I saw the fear in his eyes, not much different than when he was declaring his love for me for the first time. I told myself to keep an open mind this time and no more games. I wanted him to feel like he can trust me, and feel comfortable telling me anything.

"What is it?" I asked, rubbing his hand. He took a deep breath.

"You know when you asked me if I ever loved another girl before you. Well I have." Alright, I already figured that out, no big deal. I shrugged.

"It's okay Jake. I don't mind, it was before I was even born right?" He nodded. I smiled up at him taking his other hand.

"Nessie…it…she…" He was stuttering, I didn't like seeing him this nervous. What was causing this? Was it someone I didn't like?

"Who was it Jake?" He squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to speak once more. Now _I_ was getting nervous.

"Jake?"

"It was your mom." Instinctively I clutched onto his hand tightly, preparing myself for what I thought was the worst. But I wasn't prepared, not at all. My whole body started to heat up and blood felt like it was rising to my brain. My head felt dizzy and was pounding. I had to have imagined what he said. It wasn't possible, that was…no…no I misunderstood.

"Pardon me?" I asked softly, praying that he would say something completely different than what I thought he had just said.

"Your mother." Oh God.

"Your mom and I were best friends and at one point I…I fell in love with her. It lasted only about a year until you were born. Nessie I'm so sorry. I should have told you sooner." He squeezed my hand tightly and I wanted so badly not to be angry. But my head was so fuzzy I couldn't think straight. I couldn't even speak. He was in love with my _mom_? That was really messed up. One question was trying to force its way through my lips but I was terrified of the answer. It would determine how badly this situation turned out. Whether I could deal with it or not.

"Did…did you kiss her?" I mumbled very softly.

"What?" He asked.

"Did you kiss her!" I screamed. I couldn't control myself, it just came out. He looked at me with sad eyes and I knew the answer. I felt myself begin to gag, and I was pretty sure I was going to throw up. He kissed my mom. The man I loved was once in love with my mother and he kissed her.

"Only twice…"

"Twice!" I had lost it. Snatching my hand back, I raced through the door and out into the living room. Tears were streaming down my cheeks and I could barely see. I was having trouble finding her but then there she was, attempting to play some stupid song on the piano. All my anger had hit a peak.

"You are sick!" I screamed at her. The piano came to an abrupt stop and she along with the rest of the family turned towards me, shocked.

"What? Nessie what's wrong?" She sprung up, walking towards me. I shoved her back and she was not expecting that.

"Don't touch me! I can't believe you tried to get me and Jacob together, knowing that he loved you first. Knowing that he kissed you! How sick can you get!" I could care less what everyone else was thinking. All I could concentrate on was my mother and immense hatred and disgust I felt towards her.

"Nessie…I…it was a long time ago."

"It doesn't matter!"

"Nessie calm down." My father said, walking towards me.

"No! This is just another secret you've kept from me. Every single one of you! I can't…I can't take this anymore. I'm tired of being lied to." I began to sob even harder. I felt my mother's hands try to soothe me but if she didn't step back I was going to hurt her, I could feel it.

"Do not touch me! I hate you. All of you. Just stay out of my life." It took a second for me to notice Jacob standing on my other side, looking once again heartbroken, but I couldn't find myself caring. I was in too much pain and felt extremely nauseous. I ran out of the house, speeding towards the cottage and locked my bedroom door. I must have been crying for at least three hours when I eventually felt myself drifting off to sleep.

Once again I was aware I was dreaming. I still very dizzy and very disorientated but I decided to go along with it. Perhaps it would be a happy dream this time. So far nothing had popped out at me. I was standing in the forest in a clearing with nothing but trees and grass. So far so good. Slowly I walked around in a circle, taking in the scenery and eventually decided to lie on the grass. Closing my eyes I imagined that I hadn't just found out that my one true love of my life was in love with my mother before me. And that he kissed her. Twice. I shivered.

As I was lying there, relaxing, I noticed that it had gotten darker. The sun was gone now and rain clouds were coming in. Since I didn't want to get soaked, even in a dream, I began searching for the cottage. I'm sure it wasn't too far away.

Then out of nowhere I felt something very hard slam into me and the next thing I knew I was pinned against a tree. Brianna had her hands wrapped around my throat, glaring at me in the most terrifying expression I've ever seen her wear. But she wasn't a vampire. No, definitely still human, or partly human.

She was choking me and I was trying to catch my breath but I couldn't.

"What did I tell you would happen if you told anyone?" She said in a low but very fierce tone.

"I…I…" She wasn't letting me speak. I could feel myself choking, even though I was dreaming. What was happening?

"I guess you don't care about that dog as much as I thought you did. Now you are going to see what happens when you break your promise."

"I didn't…didn't break promise." I tried to get out.

"Liar! You really think I don't know about your father's gift! Think you can pull a fast one on me!" She was screaming at me and I couldn't even answer.

"His funeral." And then she was gone and I was awake. Breathing heavily I sat up, trying to catch my breath. I felt my neck, which was hurting terribly. I ran over to the mirror and there I was in the reflection, with two large hand prints across my throat. Panicking, I scoped out the room but the door was locked and so was the window.

I was shaking now, terrified, having trouble distinguishing dream from reality. After about three minutes of trying to relax I unlocked the door and went out to the kitchen for a glass of water. I needed something to calm my nerves.

I noticed my parent's bedroom door was shut as I walked over to switch the living room light on. As it illuminated the room I came to a sudden halt and stared in horror at the body lying on the floor, covered in blood.


	24. Chapter 24

Jake

I took a look around the room, staring at the stunned expressions on everyone's faces. It appeared that no one was prepared for Nessie's outburst, except me. I couldn't blame her, I had been in love with her mother and to make it worse we kissed, twice. I had known from the beginning that telling her was a bad idea. Still, I was glad it was off my chest. No more lying, that was what we both promised, and I had stayed true to my word.

Taking a seat on the couch, I tried to stay calm. She couldn't stay mad at me forever, she wouldn't…would she? Behind me I could hear Bella's tearless sobs and Edward trying to comfort her. I never expected Nessie to be so angry with her mother, it wasn't her fault. I'm the one that was in love with her, I'm the one that kissed her. I felt bad but I couldn't move or speak. This feeling was all too familiar to me, and as much as I had prayed I would never go through this pain again, it keeps on happening.

"She's just upset Bella, she doesn't mean it." Rosalie said.

"This is your fault!" Bella suddenly yelled back at her. Rosalie was stunned.

"_My_ fault?"

"Why would you make him tell her now! She's been through enough this week!"

"I'm looking out for her! She needs to know the truth…"

"No what you did was try to ruin Jacob and Nessie's relationship. Don't even tell me it was for any other reason." Bella stormed out the door, with Edward following behind. I was speechless. Never had I seen Bella stick up for herself against Rosalie. It was pretty impressive.

Rosalie just continued to stand there, obviously taking great offense to what she had said. But I knew it was the truth and so did she. Rosalie made it clear how she felt about me and Nessie being together, and there was no doubt in my mind that this was all part of her little plan.

However, as angry as I wanted to be at Rosalie, I couldn't find it in myself to care. This would have happened no matter what; eventually she would have found out.

"Alice!" Jaspers voice suddenly rang through the room. Spinning around, I saw Alice crouching on the floor with Jasper hovered over her. I raced over quickly to see her eyes squeezed shut and hands grasping firmly on both sides of her head. She appeared to be in a great amount of pain.

"Alice what's wrong! Alice!" Jasper continued to shout. But her only answer was a soft groan as she clutched her head even harder.

"Carlisle! Carlisle!" Jasper frantically called.

"He's at work." Emmett told him, trying to pry Alice's hands off her head.

"I'm calling him now." Esme said as she paced back and forth, her whole body trembling.

Then suddenly Alice was still. Her eyes flew open as she stared out in front of her, not meeting any of our gazes.

"Alice? Alice, please say something." Jasper begged.

"Jacob." She said, still staring wide-eyed off in space.

Jasper looked over at me in confusion.

"What about Jacob?" He asked, taking her shoulders.

"Leave now." Her eyes were still glazed over and she wasn't looking towards me but I obeyed.

She probably needed to see something in the future and I was in the way. But what the hell just happened in there?

I raced towards the cottage, afraid that what she was trying to see involved Nessie getting hurt. I needed to make sure she was okay. My mind was racing as I tried to think of a reason for what happened to Alice. None of it made any sense. But at least she appeared to be okay now.

It was nearly nightfall, as I quickened my pace, relieved that I was almost there. Nessie would still be angry with me but I had to watch over her no matter how much she protested. I wasn't about to let anything hurt her…

Out of nowhere I suddenly felt a hard blow hit the left side of my body and knock me into a tree. I stood up, very disoriented and confused. Then I noticed the wolf standing in front of me, teeth bared and growling menacingly my way. Seth?

Slowly I moved forward taking another look, not believing what I was seeing. Why was Seth growling at me? And why did he knock me over?

"Seth what's wrong with you?" I then realized that he couldn't really answer me in his wolf form so I began to take off my shorts; tying them around my ankle. His eyes never left mine and I was starting to get really freaked out. I had never seen him act like this, especially towards a brother, towards me.

I let the convulsions run through me and in a second I was standing on four legs.

"Seth what's wrong?" I asked again in my thoughts. What I got in return sent chills down my spine.

"Kill Jacob Black, Kill Jacob Black, Kill Jacob Black…" It was as if he was a tape recorder set on repeat. It never stopped.

"Seth! Seth what happened to you? Who did this?"

His answer continued to be the same. He had to be hypnotized or something, someone did this to him. First Alice and now Seth, what was happening? All I knew was that I had to get to Nessie before…

All of a sudden I was being clawed across the chest and face. Seth was on top of me, trying to bite my shoulder. I shoved him off, calling out to my brothers for help.

"Seth listen to me, I'm your friend. It's me Jacob!" But he was beyond listening, it wasn't doing any good.

We began to circle, his eyes still never leaving mine. Then I noticed he was no longer saying "Kill Jacob Black." It had changed…changed to something so much worse.

"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie, Nessie…." Oh God. She was in trouble; that was the only explanation.

"Seth where's Nessie? Is she okay?" Once again he sprang towards me, teeth aiming for my throat, but I was much quicker. Dodging him by an inch, I began to race towards the cottage, praying that she was alright. He was following behind quickly, growling very loudly.

"Help! Someone help! Something's wrong with Seth! I need back up!" I thought, hoping that maybe even Edward would have heard me. Any kind of help would be great right now. I then felt my back legs give out as Seth bit into one. The pain was excruciating. I kicked him off, not wanting to hurt Seth badly but knowing that it wasn't even really him.

We fought for about five minutes, biting, and scratching, and kicking, but none of it was doing any good. He seemed stronger, more powerful than just a kid.

"Seth please listen to me…" But he continued to beat me up and I him. I was getting weaker by the second, yet he seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. Eventually he has me pinned and all I could do was let him. I didn't have an ounce of strength left in me and I couldn't believe I was about to die by the hands of my own brother. He glared down at me, about to bite down hard as I closed my eyes.

Then he wasn't on top of me anymore, he was on the ground, being pinned down by Leah and Embry. In front of me smirking stood Quil as nudged me up. I have never been so thankful to see them.

"Thanks." I said, stretching out the bruised muscles.

"What the hell's wrong with Seth?" He asked looking over at the small wolf struggling under the hold of two other wolves.

"I think he's in a trance. His thoughts are messed up and he kept saying he wanted to kill me, like it was his job to take me out."

"Alright well we'll take him to Sam and see what he thinks."

"Be careful, he's much stronger than he looks right now." Quil nodded and the three of them dragged the still growling Seth towards Sam's house.

Almost every part of my body was aching, and all I wanted to do was lie down, but I needed to see Nessie. I had to know that she was okay. I couldn't make sense of what had just happened. Someone or something was responsible for all these weird occurrences. When I found out who, they were dead.

I trudged in the direction of the cottage back in my human form with Nessie being the only motivation to get there. I had never realized how long of a walk it was when I wasn't running and had no energy. I was almost there when suddenly I froze. My muscles tensed and my nostrils were flaming.

God damn leech was back.

My whole body trembled as I searched around the area, wanting so badly to find this vampire and rip her to pieces. I was feeling much better; like a surge of energy just hit me and I was ready to fight. I followed the scent towards the forest of the left side of the cottage, knowing that Nessie was being put in danger by this monster.

As I walked through the forest in my wolf form, I knew I was getting closer. The scent was so strong I nearly passed out. Howling loudly, I made my presence known to whoever it was. She needed to know that I was here and that I was prepared to fight.

That's when I picked up a new scent. Not as strong as the vampire's but it was still potent. There out of the corner of my eye, was a pile of leaves and twigs, covered in blood. My heart was beating out of control, dreading to know who her victim was this time. It couldn't have been Nessie, I would have recognized the scent instantly, but it was familiar…

The blood made its own trail, stopping at an old willow tree, which was drenched the most with it. I felt my stomach lurch; I couldn't imagine what terrible monster would be responsible for this. Obviously a vampire, but still, to make a trail of blood…a trail….it was a trail. It stopped at this willow tree. Was there something unique about this tree? Was the trail of blood supposed to lead here for some reason? I examined it closely, clawing at its bark, but I couldn't figure it out. What was so special about this tree? Peeking my head around it, I expected to see a dead body on the ground, or some other clue, but nothing.

The vampire's scent was gone now, to my great disappointment. I was about to give up and head back towards the cottage when I glint of light caught my attention above me. There, dangling from a branch was a necklace, swingy gently in the breeze. What the?

I made my way up as high as I could, grabbing the necklace with my teeth. Changing back into my human form, I looked at it closely. It wasn't an ordinary necklace, it was encrusted with diamonds and jewels, and on the back were the initials B.A.V. B.A.V…why was that so familiar?

B.A.V, B.A.V…my heart sunk. Those initials, Nessie mentioned them. This necklace…it was the one in her dream! I looked around me, expecting the vampire to suddenly spring out of nowhere and attack, but her scent wasn't present. It was her necklace, it had to be…but why would she leave it here? Turning it over in my hand a few times, I began to debate what I should do next. But my mind was made up the second I heard that frightful noise.

A piercing scream filled the air and I would recognize it from anywhere. Nessie! As quick as I possibly could, I ran towards the cottage, praying that she was alright and that the vampire hadn't done anything to her. But the scent was becoming stronger, the closer I got to the house…Oh no, oh no, oh no. Please no!

"Nessie!" I screamed as I loud as I could, but it wasn't going to do any good. My heart was racing out of control, I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe. I was almost there, so close!

I barged through the door, frantically searching the house, not expecting to see what was in front of me. Nessie was on the floor, sobbing, in her arms laid Corey covered in blood. He was pale, frail looking, and his eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling. But I couldn't focus on him when Nessie's face was contorted in such pain. I sat down next to her, holding her shoulders tightly and to my surprise she leaned into me, grasping my arms and hugging me. She continued to cry and though I couldn't really understand why she was crying over this guy, who had done such a terrible thing to her, I had sympathy. As much as I despised the him, he didn't deserve to die like this.

It was his blood I smelled in the forest. I recognized it now as a puddle of it surrounded us.

"I'm so sorry Nessie." I whispered in her ear. She had calmed down a bit but tears were still streaming down her cheeks. She clenched me tighter, seeming to not want to let go, and I was fine with that. Rubbing her soft hair, I took a deep breath, thankful that it wasn't her laying on the ground covered in blood.

"Jake. Jake I'm…I'm so sorry." What in the world was she apologizing for?

"Nessie what…?"

"I love you. I'm so happy your okay." Of course I'm okay, she's the one that needed protection, she's the one in danger.

"Nessie what happened?"

She shook her head, clearly not ready to talk about it. The sight was gruesome now that I took it in more. I reached over and shut Corey's eyes, but the blood around him prevented his body from looking at all peaceful. Nessie sobbed harder, still hanging on to me.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, suddenly very aware that we were alone in the cottage with someone dead. Wouldn't someone have checked on Nessie or heard her scream? Shouldn't someone be here by now? We needed Carlisle.

I reached in my pocket and pulled out my phone, which was in pretty bad condition after what the fight earlier. Dialing Carlisle's number, I waited for him to pick up, expecting him to answer right away. But he didn't, it went to his voicemail. That was strange; he was done work by now. Maybe there was an emergency, though we did have quite an emergency right in front of us now.

"I'll call your dad." Once again I waited, expecting Edward to pick up right away. He didn't.

"That's strange."

"Try my mom." She suggested, starting to get worried too.

I called Bella, nothing.

She stared up at me, appearing very distressed; I didn't want to worry her.

"Listen Alice was freaking out a bit earlier, something was weird was going on with her power. Maybe they're taking care of her. They probably forgot their phones or something." She didn't look appeased.

Suddenly there was a creak in the floorboards. We both jumped slightly and turned around. No one was there but it sounded like it came from down the hall, which was pitch black. I began to get up, but Nessie grabbed onto me, pulling me back down.

"Don't leave me."

"I won't. Stay behind me."

She nodded as we stood up and slowly headed towards the hallway. She was behind me, grabbing tightly onto my arms as I held her waist.

"Jacob I'm scared." Truth is so was I. But I couldn't let her know that.

"Just relax, stay behind me. I won't let anything hurt you."

"I don't want anything to hurt you either!"

We crept forward, as I stared closely into the darkness.

"I don't think there's anyone here." I knew what was coming next. I had to check the bedrooms. I opened Bella and Edward's first, peeking inside and turning on the lights. Nothing.

Then came the bathroom. Nothing. Lastly was Nessie's bedroom. Once again nothing. That was really strange.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to face her.

"There's no one here. Let's just go back to your house." But she wasn't looking at me, she was looking at the chain, hanging out of my pocket.

"Oh, yeah, I found this on a willow tree in the forest. It was hanging on a branch. It's like the one from your dream." Her eyes were wide and I could tell that I had really freaked her out.

"Come on Nessie, don't worry we will figure this out. Let's go talk to your family." She didn't appear to be able to move so I carried her in my arms.

I walked slowly through the forest, looking out for any signs of us being followed and sniffing the air, but there wasn't anything. Nessie was nearly shaking and I felt terrible for having scared her.

"You okay?" I asked. She nodded, closing her eyes, tears falling down her face.

"Everything is going to be fine, I promise."

We reached the backyard and I set her down on her feet. Opening the doors and walking in I came to a sudden halt as did Nessie. My body froze as I felt her begin to shake next to me. In front of us, it looked as if a tornado had hit the house. Two of the kitchen counters were bent inwards, the refrigerator had fallen and dishes laid broken on the floor. I grabbed Nessie's hand and walked forward towards the living room, in too much shock to say anything. In there it was worse.

The couches were thrown over and the television was cracked on the ground. Giant holes were in the walls all around the room and the front door was completely off its hinges. The piano was cracked in two along with the table. Lamps and mirrors lay broken on the floor, glass everywhere. I heard Nessie begin to cry uncontrollably as I rubbed her arm to comfort her. But even I was terrified. What the hell happened here? And where was everyone?

I knew where they were. They were gone, it was clear. Taken and not without a fight it seems. My heart was pumping; I couldn't take in the possibility of anyone fighting eight vampires and succeeding. But they were nowhere to be found.

"Hello? Edward? Bella?"

"Mom! Dad!" Nessie cried.

"Oh my gosh, Jacob! They're gone, they're gone!" She wept in my arms and I had no idea what to do.

"I'll go into my wolf form and call for help." But before I took off my shorts, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention and made my body convulse in sickness. Nessie noticed a seconds later and gasped. There on the ground next to the broken table, laid a hand.


	25. Chapter 25

Jake

The room was spinning; I couldn't focus on what was in front of me. I felt Nessie drop to the floor but my gaze wasn't moving from the space next to the broken table where the hand laid, pale and still. With all my concentration I attempted to put one foot in of the other, praying that whoever was laying there wasn't one of the Cullen's. Easing my way over, I slowly peeked around the corner of the table and what I saw chilled me to the bone. There was nothing attached to the hand. It was just a hand.

My stomach began to heave as I slumped to the floor next to the detached body part. All I could wonder is who that hand belonged to; whose hand had been torn off in the fight. Braving another glance at it I tried to imagine that it didn't belong to any of the Cullen's. It was pale so it was definitely a vampire, which I suppose is a good thing because it can be easily reattached I'm sure, and it was tiny and frail looking. Definitely was a female's hand I was sure of it. There were no rings on it, but it was the right hand so that didn't really help. Please don't let it be Bella's, please don't let it be Bella's, I continued to say to myself. I couldn't bear the thought of her hand being torn off. Still once I imagined the others fighting, I couldn't bear the thought of Alice or Esme's hand being torn off either. It was too cruel. Rosalie it wasn't so bad, I could deal with it, so I just told myself it was hers.

Cautiously I reached out to touch it, irrationally fearing that it would somehow snatch my hand if I came too close. But it didn't, it just laid there like a detached hand should. It was cold and hard, and very gross. Then my thoughts began to come together as I remembered why I was here on the floor next to a hand, the Cullen's were gone, they were taken. And Nessie…Nessie!

I spun around and saw Nessie staring over my shoulder, wide-eyed looking at the hand. Obviously she had expected someone to be attached to it also.

"Nessie? Nessie honey it's okay." There was no answer.

"Nessie it can be reattached it's alright I promise…" As I began to get up, her eyes started to roll to the back of her head and she fell backwards. I caught her in my arms just in time and laid her gently on the floor next to me.

This was bad, very, very bad. As I stroked her forehead, trying to think of a plan, something lying on the carpet caught my eye. Reaching over I picked up a bundle of short gray hair. Examining it closely I came to a sudden realization, it was werewolf hair. Looking around me I began to notice it everywhere, in a variety of colors too. I moved around the floor picking pieces up, brown ones, gray ones, black ones, silver, ones, everything. My heart began to beat uncontrollably as I put the pieces together. Did werewolves do this? Were my brother's responsible for this? No they couldn't be. They couldn't do this to the Cullens, they wouldn't…

But then I remembered what happened earlier tonight to Seth. Clearly someone was able to control him and make him act completely out of control. Clearly someone wanted me dead along with Nessie and I'd bet my life that it was the same person, or better yet vampire who was responsible for all of this. Suddenly Nessie's eyes popped open and she sat up looking very confused. Then she saw the hand and began shaking. I wrapped my arms around her and covered her eyes.

"Nessie, it's going to alright. I'm going to find whose responsible for this and everything with be okay, I promise." She continued to sob in my arms and I wished that I had an actual plan to go along with what I was telling her. But I didn't even know where to start.

I figured the best place to begin is to try and confirm my belief that my brothers were hypnotized and responsible for taking the Cullen's. If it is true then if I find them then I find the Cullen's.

"Nessie I'm going to change into wolf form for just a few minutes okay? I just need to check something." She didn't look happy about me letting her go but she nodded and turned her head as I took my shorts off. Then I was on four legs and sniffing the area thoroughly. Yeah, just what I thought, definitely my brothers, I recognized their smell. I poked my head out the front door and called out to them with my thoughts. I didn't get any answer. Great. I needed to find them.

"Jake." I spun and Nessie was standing by me, her face the saddest and most frightened I've ever seen it. I walked slowly towards her.

"We need to find them Jake. We…" She began to sob more as I comforted her the best I could in wolf form. She brushed her fingers through my fur as I bent my head into her chest. I needed to find them and fast.

Then suddenly there was a voice. My ears stood up as I walked towards the door again listening closely.

"Jake what is it?" Nessie asked, leaning out the door also.

I tried to concentrate, paying attention to the tone of the voice and what direction it was coming in. This wasn't easy; it was only a faint whisper.

"Kill him." I heard and it definitely sounded like Sam. Kill who? Me?

"What about the girl?" Another voice said; Embry maybe or perhaps Paul.

"Bring her here alive." My heart sunk. Seeing that every other female involved in this that I could think of was already taken, I'm guessing that they are talking about Nessie. And they most definitely want me dead so this could be a problem. I needed to get her somewhere safe. Somewhere where no one will find her so I can deal with my brothers. I nudged her backwards into the house, trying to think of a place where she would be safe.

When she had her back turned I changed back into my human form and put on my shorts quickly. I was pretty sure Nessie caught a glimpse of me before I was able to pull them up but that was the least of my worries.

"I need to hide you." I told her as I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the back of the house. Where in the world could I hide her where they couldn't detect her scent?

"Jake what's going on? Why do I need to hide?"

I stopped and took her shoulders, trying to cover up my panic.

"My brothers are not themselves. Someone has control over them and they want to take you somewhere."

"Jake stop talking to me like I'm a child. I need to know what exactly is happening. I can handle it now. I'm okay." I looked her over and she did appear to be more stable. She wasn't crying anymore and had an almost determined look on her face like she was ready for anything. I knew she needed the truth.

"Alright. Well that vampire that's been attacking you, I think she has some mind control over my brothers and I overheard Sam telling them that they are to take you back to him, alive. But I need to find a place to put you so I can deal with them…"

"So you can deal with them? Jake you can't fight them alone! You'll be killed!"

"I'm not worried about me right now. They are after you and I'd rather die than have you…"

Suddenly her lips were on mine and my whole body seemed to relax. She pushed me lightly against the wall and held me close, her lips never leaving mine. Then as she backed away slowly, still leaning into me, she whispered, "I love you Jacob. And I'm not letting anything happen to you. If they want me then they can try and take me. But I'm not going to let you die. We are in this together." She gazed into my eyes as I continued to stare into hers. She was brave, it was clear. But just like her mother, she took it to a level of foolishness. There was no way I could let her risk her life like that.

"Nessie listen to me…"

"No Jake, you listen to me. I can't go into hiding knowing that you could be killed. It just won't work. I'm staying with you."

"No. Nessie we need to get you somewhere safe…"

"I'm not leaving you…"

"Yes you are! Nessie you are my life! If anything happens to you!"

"Jake you are not going to have a life if you try to fight them yourself!"

"It won't matter! They will kill me whether you are here with me or not and then they'll take you! I can't let that happen!"

"And I can't let you fight them on your own. I'm not leaving you. You won't make me I know it."

"The hell I won't!"

I was about to pick her up when there was a shuffling coming from the kitchen. Someone was coming through the back door. My body stiffened as I gently pushed Nessie behind me.

"Who's there!" I yelled. Oh no, oh no damn it! They were already here and we were trapped.

"Show yourself!"

I began to back away, my heart thudding out of control. Then what sounded like a bunch of pans dropping to the ground rang through the house. But to my shock and relief a tiny voice cursed softly during the clamor.

"Damn it!" It was a female and it didn't sound like anyone threatening. Peering past the wall into the kitchen there stood Emily in the middle of the kitchen surrounded by pots and broken dishes. Her face lit up when she saw us.

"Oh Jacob! Nessie! You're alright!" She beamed at us but for some reason I felt myself continuing to back up. What if she was under the vampire's control also? What if this was a trick?

"Look you have to help me, something is wrong with Sam and the others. I tried to talk to him but he won't listen to me. He just keeps talking about killing you Jacob and capturing Nessie. It's like he's been hypnotized or something." I didn't know what to believe. She appeared to be the same Emily, just a bit more frazzled. I looked over at Nessie and she shrugged.

Emily tip toed towards us, avoiding the pots and dishes on the floor. I continued to back up a little and this confused her.

"Oh no Jacob I swear it's really me! I figured the Cullen's would know what to do and could help so I ran over here but…where are they?"

"They were taken. We think by Sam and the pack." Nessie said. I was still wary about giving out information to Emily. I wanted to trust her, I really did, but my mind kept telling me not to trust anyone.

"Oh my gosh." Emily said as she put her hands over her mouth.

"Do you know who's doing this? I mean Sam would never hurt the Cullen's and neither would the pack…it just doesn't make sense." She said, thinking things over.

"You haven't seen any of my family Emily? You didn't hear Sam say anything about them?" Nessie asked, now seeming a bit desperate for the information. I looked over at her, trying to signal her to stop asking questions but she ignored me.

"No, not at all. Sam has been going in and out of the area and he won't tell me what he's doing. He won't even speak to me. I don't…I don't know what to do…"

"Wait a minute, where's Harry?" I asked her.

"He's over at Sue's house, she's babysitting tonight. We were supposed to go out to dinner and a movie but obviously there's been a change of plans. I just don't understand who could do this?"

"It's a vampire." Ugh Nessie! I nudged her but she once again ignored me. Then I looked Emily over and saw the sheer panic in her eyes and the shocked expression she was wearing. It was apparent that she had no part in any of this, or at least I believed so right then. I began to ease up on her.

"A…a vampire is doing this? But I don't understand…how…why?"

"Look Emily I don't really have time to explain everything but they want me dead and they are after Nessie. We have to hide her."

Emily, who had been staring down at the cluttered floor, suddenly jerked her head up and her eyes were bright with an answer.

"I know a place. It's in La Push. No one knows about it except me and Leah. We used to play there when we were kids. It's a safe place, I don't think they will find her there. We can all hide out."

Nessie looked up at me, touching my arm and telling me how badly she wanted me to come with her and Emily in her vision.

"Nessie if I come with you, they will be ten times more likely to find us. They know my scent."

"They know my scent too. No matter what they'll find us but we just need to get away from here. We need to find my family." I knew she was right but I kept feeling like staying with her would just make things worse.

"Please Jake." We didn't have time to debate. They would be here any minute.

"Alright we have to leave now, Emily where exactly in La Push is this place?"

"It's right off the beach, not far at all. Follow me."

I threw Nessie over my left shoulder and then threw Emily over my right. There was no time to waste. Emily pointed me in the right direction and I ran as fast as I could, praying we wouldn't run into anyone on our way.

It was beginning to rain and the ground was getting slippery under my feet. Luckily Emily said we were almost there as she pointed me to a part of the beach I had never even known existed. It was in the surrounding wooded area but closer to the rock walls then I had ever been before.

"How much farther?" I asked her.

"Not much farther. Just continue around the bend and then put me down. It's not easy to find the entrance." I nodded and once I made it around the bend I put them both down, staring at a large rock wall that stood before us. I had no idea where the entrance could possibly be located, it looked like pure solid stone to me.

I waited for Emily to show us where the entrance was but she just stood there staring at me. Her eyes looked like they were in pain. My mind suddenly realized something was not right here. Nessie wasn't looking at her, she was inspecting the stone, studying some markings on it.

"Emily? Emily are you okay?" I asked her but there was no answer.

"Jake…Jake come look at these markings…I think they are…" Nessie said, turning around. But before she could finish, Emily suddenly fell straight forward, head first onto the floor. I didn't react in time out of pure shock. What the hell?

Then everything began to happen all at once very slowly. Nessie's scream rang through the air as she knelt beside Emily whose head was bleeding profusely. Then there were several howls that seemed to come from every direction. Then I looked towards the direction of where Emily had been standing and in the distance stood a short figure, dressed in red with long blond hair. I didn't recognize him or her but they weren't that close. As I spun around I found myself along with Nessie and the unconscious Emily surrounded by my brothers, who were closing in on us quickly, growling.

My head began to get fuzzy, I didn't know what to do. I looked down at Nessie and picked her up off the floor and held her close. There was no way they were touching her. No one was laying a finger on her. I prayed that Emily was alright but by the looks of her head wound she was hit with something really hard. Looking back towards where the blond figure stood, he or she was no longer there. My body was convulsing and I knew I should probably change into my wolf form, but I needed to be able to communicate with Nessie. I held her tightly, trying to reassure her without words.

"Jake…Jake…" She began to whisper. She wasn't crying but she was definitely panicking, as was I. Then a voice came from behind us and we both spun around to see three people standing before us. One was pale as a ghost with long black hair and black piercing eyes whose expression was a mixture of hatred and amusement. On her right was a tan girl with long blond hair and a long red dress on that looked more like a nightgown then an actual gown. Her eyes were black too but they weren't wearing the expression of hunger or thirst like the first, they were just angry and focused. On her other side was another girl but this one had long brown hair and the same eyes and skin color.

The two girls next to the pale one were definitely not vampires, I could tell by their scent, but they wore the same angry gaze as my brothers had right then while staring us down. The middle one stepped forward laughing to herself. Nessie gasped as I felt her body tremble next to mine. Glancing over at her, she wasn't afraid like I expected, she appeared to be angry and upset. Almost like she knew this vampire.

"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie. It's great to see you." The one in the middle said, walking towards us. Nessie hissed at her, which don't believe I had ever seen her do to someone. I defensively stood in front of her as the vampire chuckled and circled us.

"I see you brought your knight and shining armor with you. How cute."

"What do you want Brianna? What is this all about?" Brianna? She knew her name?

"You know her?" I whispered.

"We went to school together. Oh Nessie you remember Danielle and Tara right?" Brianna said as she pointed over at the other two girls.

Nessie shook her head in what appeared to be disbelief.

"What have you done?"

"The real question is what have you done? I didn't want to have to involve all these people Nessie. But you left me no choice. How else could I have gotten to you? You have such a big family so I needed a lot of help." Suddenly anger boiled inside of me. It was all starting to come together. Clearly this was the vampire who wanted Nessie dead and she had the Cullen's somewhere. She had gotten them out of the way just like she had gotten my family out of the way. Nessie started to make a go for her but I held her back. Who knew what this witch was capable of?

"Where are they! What did you do to them!" She shouted struggling against me.

"Oh please Jacob, it's Jacob right? Let her go. I would love to see her try and attack me. It would be quite amusing." Brianna giggled and then kicked over Emily. My blood was pulsing through my veins as the anger in me was about to explode.

"Don't touch her!" I shouted at Brianna.

"Who? Her?" She pointed down at Emily.

"I don't know why you care about her. She's the one that lured you here."

"Yeah and under whose control?" Nessie retorted. Brianna just smiled amiably and then shrugged.

"I can't help it if I wasn't given my own resources. It's not easy taking out both vampires and werewolves on my own."

"Taking out…" Nessie said, her voice shaking.

Brianna walked towards us once again, eyeing us both down.

"Taking out." She said, a wide smile etching across her face. I felt Nessie give out next to me, landing on the ground. It wasn't possible. The Cullen's weren't dead. There was no way. Even against my brothers it wasn't possible that they could all lose and not one of my brothers die. But there they were all of them, no damage done it appeared, All I wanted to do right then was rip this vampire to shreds but I knew the second I went for her, she would have my brothers kill me. I was pretty sure she was planning on doing that real soon anyway. I stood there debating and she continued to look at me as though reading my thoughts.

Then she nodded behind her at the two girls who immediately moved forward towards me, taking me by my arms and thrusting me against a tree. Even if I turned into a wolf right then, it would have been pointless. They were unbelievably strong especially for such tiny girls, obviously a part of the special gift that Brianna was capable of giving them. I couldn't move as they pinned me against the bark, their nails digging into my skin. This was it, I couldn't believe it. I looked over at Nessie as I struggled against them. She had tried to run towards me but Paul jumped in front of her along with Embry, Quil, and Sam who had formed a circle enclosing her in.

"Jake! No! Jacob!" She cried trying to push her way through them but it was pointless. Brianna walked towards me smiling, and raised her ice cold hand to my face. She held her hand on my cheek and closed her eyes. I closed mine, afraid to see what she was planning on doing to me all the while hearing Nessie screams. I couldn't take hearing her in pain so I suppose it was good I was about to be killed, I wouldn't be able to handle it much longer.

I felt Brianna's two cold hands lay on both sides of my head and then suddenly everything went black.

Hey everyone, sorry I know it's been a while. College really has me busy but I'll really try to update soon now that most of my exams are done. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading and reviewing!


	26. Chapter 26

Nessie

My whole body shook as I tried to force my way through Jacob's brothers, but it was no use. I screamed Jake's name over and over, knowing that it wouldn't help, but needing him to look at me, to tell me that he had a plan and that everything was going to be okay. But it wasn't okay; his eyes met mine for a split second before Brianna had blocked my view, but in that moment I knew he was just as afraid as me. He didn't have a plan and neither did I. My heart was beating out of control, aching to hold Jacob one more time, wanting to die with him right then and there.

"Take me! Leave him alone! No!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, but it was too late. I watched Brianna place both hands on the sides of his face, as if trying to read his thoughts. She leaned in closer and I knew my greatest fear was about to happen. I couldn't watch.

Dropping to the floor, I closed my eyes and began sobbing. I couldn't process what was happening or what was about to happen to me. Brianna wanted me dead and she had killed my family and the man I loved to accomplish that. If only I had just left Jacob out of it. If only I had just let her kill me when she had first tried to, none of this would have happened. I continued to weep, not wanting to hear the sound of his agony but at the same time needing to know that it was over. All I wanted right then was for her to kill me. There would be no point in living anymore. Without my family…without Jacob…

Suddenly I felt myself being hauled to my feet and I opened my eyes to see Danielle and Tara, obviously in a trance, holding my arms tightly now, Brianna aiming her malicious smile towards me. I wanted to tear her to pieces but there was no energy left in me and clearly I would lose. I braved a glance over by the tree, expecting to see Jacob dead on the ground but what I saw sent me into shock. He was alive.

"Jacob! Oh my gosh, Jacob your alive!" Tears of joy now fell down my cheeks, I couldn't believe it! But then I took a closer look at him. He was just standing there, his eyes black and narrowed in my direction, as if he was getting ready to kill me. His whole body was tense and fierce, not one part of him looked relaxed. He appeared to be beyond angry; it was determination and thirst for my death that was splayed across his face. She had gotten to him. He wasn't dead, but he might as well have been. My knees began to quiver as I struggled to stay standing. I didn't understand why she didn't kill him, why she wouldn't just end all of this now. Why was she delaying my execution that she clearly wanted so badly, for reasons I'm still not aware of.

"Since we have some time to spare I suppose I could answer the questions I know you dying to ask. It only seems fair." Brianna said circling around me, while Jacob just continued to stare me down.

"Can't you just get it over with?" As much as I wanted to know why she was doing this, it was worse standing here awaiting death. Besides, I couldn't bear to watch Jacob stare at me with brooding resentment any longer.

"Not yet. We are still waiting on some guests." My heart being to speed up even faster. What was she talking about? Who else were we waiting on?

"Guests? What guests?"

"You'll find that out eventually. Why don't you ask the first question I'm sure has been driving you crazy?"

She was taunting me. It was obvious she was just trying to brag about her accomplishment of finally capturing me and I wasn't going to give in.

"I don't care why you are doing this Brianna. If you think I'm going to give you the satisfaction of…"

"Oh trust me I am as satisfied as I'll ever be. If you want to stay in the dark about this whole situation than that's up to you. Most people I have killed always want to know why so I just figured since we have the time I'd help you out. But if you don't want to…" It was tempting. A lot of things didn't make any sense and since I was going to die no matter what it probably couldn't hurt.

"Fine. Why are you doing this?" She laughed and then stopped in front of me, grinning widely.

"I knew you'd give in. Okay where to start? Alright for one I'm no doing any of this. This whole plot to kill you isn't my idea although I'm all for it."

"Whose idea is it then?"

"Take a wild guess." Ugh couldn't she just answer my question, I was in no mood to play a guessing game.

"Just tell me Brianna."

"I'll give you a hint; you've met them once before a long time ago." I thought back to everyone I had met as a child and almost immediately it hit me. Who else could possibly be capable of so much evil? The figures in the dark robes with the red piercing eyes…

My whole body trembled as I realized that this was much worse than I thought. Chills ran down my spine as I attempted to grasp the fact that I was going to see those terrible vampires once more and they wanted me dead. I couldn't say the name out loud but looking at Brianna's face she clearly was aware I knew who she was talking about.

"I don't blame you for being afraid. They are extremely terrifying vampires. The Volturi." Right as she said that name my whole body collapsed. Luckily I had my two possessed friends to hold me up. I tried to ask another question but I was having trouble speaking.

"When…why are they…why do they want me dead?" I finally managed to whisper out.

"Isn't it obvious? Well I suppose it wouldn't be that obvious to you since the last time they were here you were just a tiny little baby." She pinched my cheeks and I was tempted to bite her stupid finger right off.

"They are a bit put off with you and your little family. The fact is that what you are goes against nature, against all vampire kind. Half-breeds aren't supposed to exist. What your parents created was neither human nor vampire, it was a monster. You Nessie are a monster and monsters need to be destroyed. Don't take it too personally, it isn't your fault. But sadly you're the one that has to pay." She was rubbing my face and all I could think about was what the Volturi had planned for me. How much would they make me suffer?

"I don't know if you are fully aware of who the Volturi are and how important they are to the vampire community but let me give you a run down. They are royalty. They control everything related to vampires and if they want someone dead, it is going to happen. Now Aro he is the leader and quite a terrible one is I do say so myself. He can be cruel if he wants to be but most of the time he's fair, which I think is a terrible trait for a leader to have personally. Marcus is another leader; he usually keeps to himself and might as well not exist. But then there is Caius, who possesses all the perfect qualities of a leader. He knows what is right and what needs to be done. Without him this wouldn't have happened in the first place."

"He did this?" I asked, not really caring anymore but just trying to understand who exactly was planning on coming here to kill me.

"For the most part. Of course this would have never fallen into place without his loyal followers, myself included. There's Felix, who just can't wait to see you again by the way. And then there is Heidi, Santiago, Julien, and last but definitely not least Jane. Believe me she is probably the most excited to see you. She's waited for this day a very long time."

"Is that all?" Brief images were coming to mind of that day. I remembered being held in Jacob's arms and being told by my mother that I might not see her again. That's when she gave me my locket. I had been so confused about what was happening, all I knew was that bad people were coming that wanted to take me away. I remember the Volturi vaguely; only their red eyes and pasty skin come to mind. But I do recall there being a lot of them. Definitely more than the six Brianna mentioned. That couldn't be all of them.

"What you and mostly everyone in the vampire world are unaware of is that the Volturi have been in a bit of a feud amongst its members for several years. You being behind all of it. Seven years ago when they were last here, everyone had anticipated a fight. The fight to end all fights between your weak vegetarian family along with their followers and the Volturi. Sadly, Aro's weaker side for fairness got the best of him and it was decided that you didn't pose a threat. Caius along with several other members were displeased with this decision and when they met back in Volterra, an argument immediately ensued, splitting everyone into sides. One side thought it was a good idea to just let you live and to just keep an eye on you, but not take any affirmative action, Aro being the leader of this. But Caius rightfully disagreed and argued with Aro over and over about it. He realized what a dangerous and terrible monster had been born and saw fit that you should be killed. Those who agreed with him include everyone I mentioned before and a few others, including myself of course. It really took a toll on the relationship between Aro, Marcus, and Caius. They haven't been civil to one another for seven years. Caius eventually agreed to drop the subject in order to get Aro off his back, but all this time he has secretly been coming up with this perfect plan to kill you. And obviously it was a success."

I tried to take in everything she said but I just couldn't believe it. My existence had caused the feud of an ancient vampire family. It just didn't make sense, why did they hate me so much? I had done nothing wrong; I have never hurt anyone…I had never revealed the secret. Sure I had given out more detail to Corey about my life than I should have, but he had no idea. At least I wasn't the one that informed him.

"So I was recruited by Jane who was trying to find vampires with extraordinary talents that would be able to take out your little coven and anyone else who tried to get in our way. She saw my incredible gift first hand when I put a banker in a trance and convinced him to give me about four hundred thousand dollars. As you can see right now I can hypnotize people. I can get them to do what I want and not listen to anyone but me. With this I also altercate their body mass. I can make them ten times stronger and ten times a better fighter. I put that to good use when I had your wolf friends kill your family. I must say they have become quite useful. Who knew dogs could be so obedient? Of course after your dead we will have no use for them. Perhaps we will use their fur for some new coats?" Blood pulsed through me and I felt my head begin to spin. I imagined this was somewhat like the way Jake felt before he transformed. But instead of turning into a werewolf I just struggled to break free of Danielle and Tara's grasp, failing miserably. I began to weep more, not wanting to believe that this was all really happening. My family was dead, Jacob was going to be dead and there was nothing I could do about it because I too was going to be killed. This couldn't be happening…

"Don't waste your energy. I'm surprised, you haven't enquired how your dad has been completely unaware of all this and how I managed to play such a convincing role as an average teenage girl without being detected. Are you at all curious?" I didn't answer. Sure she was right, those questions were now eating away at me, but I couldn't move my lips.

"Well I'm going to tell you anyway. I feel like I shouldn't take _all_ the credit. I'll let you in on a secret. I haven't been doing this all alone like you have thought. I've had help over here. While Caius and the rest of the Volturi involved in this scheme worked out the kinks, I was sent over here with two other vampires who Jane had recruited. Each having very unique powers that let them control other vampire's gifts, change the physical form of vampires and alter memories. I bet you'll never guess who they are?"

I looked at either side of me and although both Danielle and Tara were in a trance, my guess was it was them. But then Brianna surprised me and shook her head.

"No it's not them. They were just little innocent tools in this plan; they wouldn't hurt a fly unless I made them." Now I was getting really curious. Who was she talking about?

"Who then?"

Right then, Brianna looked behind her, as though signaling someone from the forest. I continued to stare in that direction and what I saw I couldn't believe. Two figures emerged from the trees smiling the same malicious grin the Brianna wore. The first a short, darker skinned, but still pasty looking girl with long brown hair and red eyes. I didn't recognize her but then the other person trailed behind and I couldn't comprehend how it was possible. A tall, incredibly handsome man, whose appearance was altered to make him now appear a lot more terrifying then I had ever seen him. Standing across from me smiling with the perverted grin I recognized all too well was Corey. Eyes red and full of the life that I had sworn had been taken from him a few hours ago.

"How is that possible?" I asked in disbelief. Brianna laughed again now facing Corey and the girl who were making their way towards me.

"I believe you met Corey before? Oh and this is Sarah. Perhaps it rings a bell?" I thought about it and then realized that's who I had heard Brianna tell the person on the phone with that she had killed.

"I knew you were eavesdropping on me. One of those vampire things. So I made you believe that I had killed a girl named Sarah and then of course Corey. Luckily Corey's gift allows himself, Sarah, and me to blend in with the human world and alter any vampire's gift who might reveal us. They were able to pretend to be dead humans very easily this way and that's why your father hasn't been able to detect any of us. That's why Alice couldn't see into your future at the party while you were with Corey. Of course he failed in part by losing you at one point and that's why she could see your future and once again stop me from capturing you." She turned a hatful glare over at him. He looked down, ashamed.

"Capturing? I thought you were trying to kill me?"

"I'm not allowed to kill you. Caius and the rest of the Volturi want to take care of that by themselves."

"What about in the ocean?"

"That wasn't me that was Sarah. She didn't feel it necessary to follow the rules and was eager to finish you off. Caius made her change her mind though." I couldn't even imagine what he had done to her.

"And what's her gift exactly?" The curiosity was getting the best of me; I needed to know everything now.

"She is able to alter memories but only humans. That's how we were able to assimilate into the school. Everyone has a memory of me and Corey growing up with them and experiencing high school as one big, happy, snobby, group of teenagers. It worked out really well if you ask me. No one had any idea what we were. Not even your perceptive family thanks to Corey. So as you can see we are a talented group. We did what was necessary to serve our leaders."

"So what. When I die what happens? I'll tell you, they will forget about everything you've done for them and let Aro kill you. Probably blame everything on you!" They stared at me, truly convinced that this would never happen. That they would be rewarded for their good work.

"We will be looked upon as heroes and as for Aro; his time of ruling is over. Caius will become the new leader after everyone hears how he saved our world from the terrible half breed monster." She was directly in my face now, no longer smiling but scowling at me. For some reason I didn't feel afraid of her any longer, she clearly was delusional. She was about to speak but then she stopped and smiled once again turning towards Corey and Sarah.

"I believe our guests have arrived." Brianna said as she looked back over my shoulder. I was too terrified to look, to see the pale terrifying faces and the red eyes staring me down like prey. Danielle and Tara were holding me securely, spinning towards the direction where the Volturi would come through.

"Danielle, Tara! It's me Nessie! You have to listen to me! Don't listen to Brianna please!" I knew it would do no good but I was desperate now. I struggled against their hold but then I felt two hands land firmly on my shoulder. Looking back it was Corey who grinned down at me, excitement in his eyes. I couldn't believe I actually mourned for his supposed death.

"Really sorry it has to work out this way Nessie. I could actually see us together if you weren't a half breed." He whispered in my ear. I spit on him and turned back around.

Everyone became very still and tense, and the wolves along with Jacob backed up into the trees, making way for the Volturi. Thirty seconds had passed and then I saw the figures emerge from the blackness of the forest, hatred filling their eyes as they stared me down. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the painful fate that awaited me.

Hey everyone, I know this chapters a bit short but the next one should be pretty soon I hope. Thanks for reading!


	27. Chapter 27

Nessie

The first to emerge was a tall, blonde haired man with a fierce scowl stretched across his face. Next to him was an even taller and much more muscular man with a handsome face that wore the same angry expression as the other. On the left side of the blonde were two tall, lean men, one with short chestnut hair and the other with black shoulder length hair, both of whom appeared to be trying too hard to look angry. Behind them, perhaps giving me the most terrifying glare was a tiny girl with an angelic looking face whom I guessed was Jane. Chills ran down my spine and my heart began beating uncontrollably.

Following behind them were a few other vampires who appeared confused as they looked around at the scene in front of them. Danielle, Tara, and Corey held me tightly in place while Brianna bowed forward towards the group, whose members were more horrifying then I remembered. Their red eyes continued to stare me down with immense hatred and I couldn't even turn away.

"Welcome your majesty." Brianna said as she stood up straight and walked towards the blonde man who I presumed to be Caius.

"Brianna. You've done beautifully." He told her, kissing her hand.

"Nothing pleases me more than to serve you." Brianna then turned towards me and smiled her infamous grin my way, obviously waiting anxiously to see what Caius would do to me.

"She's all yours." She said quietly and went to stand next to Jane.

Caius walked towards me, no longer staring at me in hatred but instead trying to look sympathetic. He slapped Corey's hands off my shoulders and pushed aside Danielle and Tara.

"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie…It's been so long. And you've grown up to be even more beautiful than I expected." He said to me, curving one side of his mouth up but still looking disgusted.

"I'm not sure if you remember me but I'm Caius. I'm one of three Volturi leaders who visited you several years ago. Let me explain exactly what the Volturi do…"

"I explained already your majesty!" Brianna suddenly called out from behind. Caius rolled his eyes back and looked very annoyed. Then he turned towards her with a forced smile and nodded.

"Excellent thank you. Anyway I suppose you are wondering why I'm here. You see…"

"I explained that too!" Brianna once again interrupted. Now Caius was angry but covered it up very well.

"Thank you." He said once more to Brianna.

"Well I'm sure you are curious as to how I pulled off taking your entire family and the shape shifters out of the picture…"

"I told her all about…" Brianna began to shout but then was abruptly cut off with the huge one's hand that was now wrapped across her mouth and throat.

"Thank you Felix." Caius said and turned back to me.

"Well since Brianna seems to have told you everything there's really no reason to delay any longer." He smiled cruelly at me, rubbing his finger up and down my cheek and then turning towards Jane who immediately stepped forward. She glared intensely at me and suddenly my entire body began convulsing. It was the most agonizing pain I have ever felt. It was like I was being stabbed a hundred times all over my body and it wouldn't stop. Cringing in the dirt I tried to scream out for help but it was no use. I got a brief glimpse of the smiling, smug faces of Brianna and the rest of the Volturi but I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I tried my hardest to just ignore the excruciating pain running through my limbs and to imagine that I was back in Jacob's arms safe from harm, but it was no use. I just wanted to die already.

"What!" A harsh voice suddenly rang through the forest and the pain ceased. I opened my eyes and saw Jane looking in shock at Caius who now towered over a cowering Brianna.

"Where is the necklace!" Caius yelled, taking her shoulders and shaking her entire body.

"I…I…Corey should have it. I left it with him." Brianna stuttered. Caius let go of her and snapped his fingers ordering a wide eyed Corey to come to him. By the looks of his expression, he didn't know where the necklace was either. This wasn't good. Slowly he made his way over, keeping a decent distance from Caius.

"Well? Where is it?" Caius asked, sticking out his hand.

"I…I…don't know. I…" All of a sudden there was a loud bang and Felix had Corey pinned against the closest tree as Caius trembled with anger.

"What do you mean you don't know where it is!"

Corey struggled against Felix's grip which seemed like a pointless effort. He tried to say something but couldn't get it out. It was strange seeing him this way. He wasn't the same Corey I had thought I'd known, who was decent looking but so cocky and sure of himself. He was a vampire, a better looking man yet so much weaker in comparison to the Volturi. He was just like everybody else.

"I…I…"

"Spit it out!" Felix shouted at him.

Corey's eyes suddenly opened wide and he turned his head slightly towards the other side of the forest.

"Hand it over or I'll tear you to pieces…" Felix threatened him but Corey began pointing towards the wolves and Jacob who hovered in the shadows.

"He…he had it…he has it…" Corey stuttered, trembling against the tree.

"What are you talking about!" Jane said, stomping over towards Corey appearing very frustrated.

"When I was setting the trail with my blood…I must have dropped it when I was running or something. The wolf guy probably found it…yes! I remember him and Nessie talking about it when I was pretending to be dead. He must have picked it up. I swear I don't have it! I wouldn't keep something like that…" Felix looked over at Caius whose face was stern and very aggravated. He nodded towards Felix who let go of Corey's neck and dragged him towards the rest of the group. Corey looked frantically around him, muttering his apologizes but something told me that wouldn't help. Caius then stared me down as I continued laying on the floor, too afraid to move.

Corey was hidden now by Felix, the two other men who I took to be Santiago and Julien along with the three other vampires. Corey's begging was getting louder now and then as quick as it began, it ended. I covered my ears and closed my eyes but I could still hear his screams and the noise of body parts being ripped apart. My entire body was trembling now, just wanting this to be over with. Why weren't they killing me? Why couldn't they just get it over with like they had just done to Corey?

I snuck a peek over at Brianna, who was beside Sarah now, staring wide-eyed at the group huddled around a small fire that had just been made. She no longer appeared invincible and smug. Now she was quiet and shaking slightly. Sarah looked like she was crying tearlessly, slightly shaking too.

However, I was no longer watching them as I noticed Caius walking towards the shadows. My muscles began to function again as I stood up and realized what he was about to do. What Corey had said finally sunk in. Jacob had the necklace, he had shown me it in the cottage. It was obviously something of importance. He was going to do what he had done to Corey to Jacob and I couldn't let that happen. I realized that it didn't matter if I was going to be killed or not, Jacob couldn't die, he just couldn't. I began to run towards Caius, not knowing what I was planning or thinking about doing, just knowing that he couldn't hurt him.

"Leave him alone!" I yelled when I was two feet from Caius, but suddenly I was being yanked backwards by Brianna and Sarah, with Felix hovering close. He stepped in front of me and began to chuckle.

"What were you planning on doing sweetie?" He then took my face in his huge hands and laughed even louder.

"You remind me of your mother. Such a beautiful woman. Too bad she's dead." Anger boiled up inside me but it would do nothing against him. So instead I turned my head back towards the forest where the wolves, bowing their bodies towards Caius, were gathered and where Jacob stood. He too was knelt over, on his knees looking at the ground. He lifted his head up now, meeting Caius's gaze.

"Stand up." Caius ordered him and he obeyed; his face still cold and distant.

"Hand me the necklace." Instead of handing it over right away like expected, however, he continued to stand there, not moving.

I could tell right where I was standing that Caius was none too pleased.

"I said hand me the necklace dog." Jacob remained still once again. Then I felt Brianna let me go and walked towards them.

"Jacob give him the necklace." She ordered, her voice shaking.

"Now!" She yelled when he didn't hand it over. My heart was racing, at any moment he could be in pieces like Corey. Why wasn't he listening? Did he really not have it?

Caius took a deep breath.

"I don't know why he isn't listening your majesty. I'm so sorry I…" Caius lifted his hand to silence her and then moved slowly closer, eyeing him up. He circled him once and all the while Jacob remained completely still.

"Brianna…order him to obey me and only me." Brianna looked taken aback but quickly obeyed. She stared deep into his eyes and then nodded.

"Alright let's try this again. Give me the necklace Jared."

"Um…your majesty…it's actually Jacob."

"Fine. Give me the necklace Jacob."

"I do not have it." Jacob instantly replied.

"That's impossible. He must have it, empty your pockets!" Brianna ordered. Jake didn't move.

Felix then groaned impatiently. "He doesn't listen to you anymore!"

"Empty your pockets now!" Caius then shouted, and the whole forest rang with his shrill voice.

He didn't obey. I couldn't understand what was going on. Why wasn't Jacob listening?

"Alright I've had enough." Felix yelled and stomped over to them, pushing Brianna out of the way.

"Allow me to get it from him Caius." I watched as Felix placed his hand in Jacob's pocket and then laugh to himself.

"Aha!" Felix said but then suddenly his face turned cold. I couldn't see what had just happened. All I knew was that Felix and Jacob were now eyeing each other down and Felix appeared to be in a state of shock. And then at that moment I looked down at his wrist which was now being squeezed tightly by Jacob's hand and bent backwards. My gaze moved back to their faces and I noticed Jacob's eyes, which were no longer black and distant, they were instead alive with fury and determination.

It took me several seconds to take this all in when all of a sudden Felix's body went soaring through the air and smashed into a tree on the other side of the clearing. My heart kicked into overdrive as I stood there in shock. Looking over at Jacob who was now staring at me smiling, my strength seemed to return. With only Sarah holding onto me now, I bent backwards and twisted her arm off mine and kicked her to the ground. I have never felt so alive and full of energy! Jacob wasn't dead or being possessed!

I began to run towards him but instead of smiling at me he was now staring at the vampires who were cornering him. No one seemed to notice me anymore and they were all determined at that moment to finish off the one wolf who was no longer on their side. I wasn't sure what I was planning on doing, but I had to help him somehow. I was inches away when suddenly a small wolf, Seth, stepped in my path and blocked me.

However, to my surprise and relief he wasn't the same angry Seth wolf that prevented me from helping Jacob earlier, it was almost as if he was trying to protect me…

Suddenly all the wolves went from bowing to growling at Caius and the rest of the vampires.

"What's happening? What are you doing! Stop it! Kill Jacob!" Brianna screamed at them, but they weren't listening. They just continued to circle around the vampires, trapping them.

"Nessie! What…what's going on?" I spun around to see Danielle and Tara looking confused over towards me and then they went speechless as they took notice of the pack of wolves surrounding them.

I ran over and pushed them out of the way.

"Get away from here. I'll call you later and explain everything, but right now you have to leave!" I told them. They were having trouble moving their feet but eventually it hit them that they were in dangerous territory and they ran off.

Looking back over towards Jacob who was grinning widely at me, I took the only opportunity to see him that I might have and ran into his arms. He held me close and kissed my hair, saying my name over and over. Tears sprung out of my eyes as I held him tightly and I never wanted to let go.

He took my face in his hands and stared at me with those kind, loving, eyes that I thought I'd never see again.

"Jacob. I…I thought I'd lost you…" I sobbed.

"I know, it's okay Nessie. Everything is going to be okay." He said, comforting me.

"Are you hurt?" He asked and I shook my head.

"What happened? Brianna had you in a trance and now…" I asked, still crying slightly in relief.

"I know. I'm so sorry about that. But it's okay now we got some help." He said smiling at me. What was he talking about?

"Help? What are you…" Suddenly I felt a piercing pain in my back and I could no longer speak. My head was getting dizzy and everything was spinning.

"Jake…" I muttered. He held me in shock asking what was wrong but I couldn't move my lips. Then he looked over my shoulder and his eyes widened and then tightened in an angry glare. I fell to the ground at his feet and couldn't move. Staring above me, I saw Felix, glaring at Jacob with a sharp pointed stone in his hand, which I realized he had stabbed in my back, and then there was Jacob, shaking in fury, looking up and down between me and Felix.

I saw him lunge at Felix, transforming in mid air. Everything seemed to slow down, as I tried to ignore the very painful gash in my back. I was having trouble breathing and concentrating on my surroundings. My eyes began to flutter close as I heard my name being called by very familiar voices that seemed so far away…


	28. Chapter 28

Jake

Everything was red; blazing, sharp, flaming red. I couldn't think, I couldn't move. As I held Nessie in my arms, I tried to understand why she was staring up at me in agony. Why she had suddenly gone limp and why the scent of blood swarmed my nostrils. Then, looking up, it all came together. A very tall, very large vampire was standing in front of me, a cruel smile spread across his marble face, and in his right hand was a sharp stone with blood on the tip.

Nessie collapsed towards the ground as I stared at this monster in shock. I struggled to wrap my head around what just happened. He had stabbed Nessie and she was in pain; she needed my help. But all I saw was the taunting expression on this leech's face, challenging me to attack. And I had to. I had to tear that head right off. The redness turned to a familiar, hazy, dizziness and I knew what was coming. All the anger and fury I was keeping in was about to be released and aimed right at him. He was going to die, that was guaranteed.

Springing forward and transforming, possibly the fastest I've ever done so while tearing my pants in the process, I aimed at his head and wound up knocking his entire body straight to the ground. But it wasn't easy. This vampire was large; probably even would give Emmett a run for his money. I clawed at his face, feeling only the anger pulsing through me knowing that Nessie was lying on the ground and badly hurt. But I didn't get far, he grabbed my front legs and flew me off towards the forest and I hit a close by tree. Nothing I couldn't handle at this moment. I immediately got up and charged at him once again, but he had moved out of the way. He went from standing in front of me, to behind me, to across the field, and then I felt a hard shove on my back and I fell to the ground.

His speed was going to make this much more challenging. I tried to think of a plan quickly, but then I felt my hind legs being dragged and then my entire body bashing into another tree, causing it to fall over. My head was pulsing and my back really hurt but I wasn't going to give up. He stood several yards from me, still smiling tauntingly, clearly finding this amusing. I was about to attack once more but then I noticed Embry behind him, crouching and ready to attack. He was about to lunge when suddenly the vampire turned around and pinned him on the ground. There was a loud cracking noise and it sounded like Embry's leg or arm had been broke. I raced over there, wanting nothing more than to tear this leech limb from limb, but before I reached him, two others decided to intervene. And it was about time.

Emmett and Jasper had the big leech now pinned; however, even the two of them were struggling to keep him down. I heard Emmett mumbling curses while Jasper was clearly trying to use his gift to calm both of them down. As I made my way over, the conversation became clearer.

"Hey Jake you wanna give us a hand…or a paw." Emmett said, now a bit calmer but still clearly frustrated. I nodded and stared down at the man that had stabbed Nessie and took part in all this mess. He glared up at me, no longer appearing amused, but defeated. I raised my right leg and smashed it into his chest, not seeming to do too much damage but his face did flinch. Then I growled fiercely, letting all my anger out, leaving him to cringe slightly.

"All right, all right, you made your point Jake. You're angry. Now hold him down while we break off his head…"

"Not so fast." I spun around and in front of us stood a blond haired vampire with blood red eyes and a royal quality to him. He looked familiar and then it hit me that he was one of the three head vampires who had come here last time. A Volturi member…Caius I believe.

"Caius." Jasper said quietly in recognition. Thought so but what was he doing here?

Royal parasite or not, he was about to join his friend in getting torn to pieces. I was ready to attack when I looked over his shoulder and saw the reason behind his smugness.

Behind him the amount of vampires had tripled and that wasn't counting the Cullen's who stood huddled together around Nessie. Emmett and Jasper, who were still trying to hold down the strong one, stared out at the sea of vampires looking somewhat like they had expected to their arrival.

"If you would let go of Felix…" Caius motioned towards Jasper and Emmett as they exchanged looks. Then, both sighing, they let go of him and I stared in frustration. Why did they listen? How could they just let him go? Sure we were outnumbered but it would help our side a lot if the big vamp, Felix, was dead.

I growled at Caius and he just smiled and chuckled to himself. Jasper and Emmet began moving towards the rest of our group and nudged me along with them. As I got a closer look at the scene, I noticed my brothers stood next to the Cullen's and they too were crouched over a body. It was Emily, who appeared to be okay, but she was bleeding heavily from the head. Next to her off to the side, lay Embry in human form, his face scrunched up in pain and his leg twisted. I felt terrible seeing him like that, it wasn't fair. My urge to attack Felix again was getting stronger. Then I saw the third body lying on the ground and remembered why I had been so furious in the first place. Nessie was lying with her back facing up as Carlisle examined her. My feet suddenly were able to move much faster. Kneeling beside her, the pain in my chest had come back. Her eyes squinted up to see me and a small smile formed on her lips. My heart swelled up and I could barely focus. Seeing her like this killed me and it's been happening too much lately. I needed to hold her, make sure she was okay. I needed to be in my human form. I needed shorts.

Right then Quil trudged over, carrying his shorts that had been wrapped around his leg, in his mouth.

"Here you go Jake." He said in his thoughts.

"Thanks Quil. How's Embry?"

"He'll be fine, just a broken leg."

I nodded and then was quickly back in human form, pulling Quil's shorts on. They were way too small for me, but it was better than nothing. I knelt back next to Nessie who reached out for my hand and pulled me closer.

"Jake." She said softly. I wanted to erase her pain. I wanted to take it for her, she didn't deserve this.

"Oh Nessie. I'm so sorry." Even though I wasn't able to control my actions while that witch had me in a trance, I still promised nothing would happen to her and that she would be safe. And I broke that promise.

I had felt so much confusion when I had been broken from the trance. I was sure that Brianna was planning on killing me, but instead she decided to make me one of her little minions, which I didn't understand. What did she need me for? There were so many questions that were running through my head but I couldn't find myself caring at the moment. All I cared about was Nessie; all I needed was for her to be okay.

"Carlisle, how bad is it? Carlisle?" I looked over and then realized that everyone was standing up, looking in the opposite direction where the other vampires stood. Caius was the closest still smiling and appearing pleased with himself. I had sworn that everything had been going in our favor just a few minutes ago. How had it come to us being the ones in danger once more? Where had all these other vampires come from?

I continued to kneel close to Nessie, rubbing her hand while staring at the thirty or so vampires huddled together behind Caius. I noticed Brianna, with the same expression on her face as I had seen her with last time. At that moment I would have never guessed she was taking part in something this big. I didn't understand why she had gone to all this trouble just to kill Nessie but obviously it wasn't just her who wanted that.

"I see that you were able to escape my forces after all. I'm curious how did eight vampires get away from twenty five?" Caius asked and turned towards his followers who looked ashamed and many of who just stared at the ground.

"We have our ways." Edward said, glaring menacingly back at him.

"Very well if you don't feel like explaining I'll find out later when you're all dead." Edward hissed at him, standing protectively in front of Bella.

"I don't know if you've been informed of my plan but it basically revolves around killing your little half-breed daughter and having you all be witness to it. You see I want to make things a bit more interesting. Having Nessie killed would be far too easy and much less entertaining to watch alone. So I had my henchmen and ladies who I've collected over these seven or so years that we've been apart and had them keep an eye on you while I straightened some things out. Now I know you had this whole plan about saving Nessie and killing us with the help of your little dogs over there…"

Suddenly growls filled the air as four or five wolves looked as if they were about to pounce. That is until Sam ordered them to settle down and then they relaxed a bit. He was right, clearly we wouldn't win against all these vampires, but part of me wanted to attack them too, just to see what would happen…

Caius chuckled darkly at the response of my brothers and then shook his head.

"You know you really should train them better. Not a very intimidating bunch."

"Caius let's be rational about this. Aro wouldn't…" Carlisle began.

"I don't care about Aro!" Caius's face suddenly turned livid as his screamed echoed in the air.

"Aro and Marcus and everyone else over in Volterra right now are gutless and pathetic excuses for vampires as are all of you. This is my plan and I am going through with it without Aro's approval. I am not under Aro's control, nor have I ever been!" He scowled at us and then slowly he began to relax.

He walked towards our group, making eye contact with Bella and stood right in front of her, until Edward cut in his path, scowling. But Caius just shoved him aside, knocking him to the floor and reached out his hand to stroke Bella's face. I held Nessie in my arms and began to shake as he brushed Bella's hair back. I wanted to rip his stupid hand off. Then suddenly my breathe caught in my throat as I noticed Bella's hand was missing. She was the one who lost her hand in the fight. I tried to fight back a gag as I turned my head and looked at Nessie's worried face.

"What…?" She began but I took her face in my hand and just held her gaze.

"Just look at me okay." I didn't know what Caius was going to do but I didn't want Nessie to see. Edward was up from the ground struggling against his brothers who were trying to hold him back. I knew how he felt and I wanted to do just as many terrible things to that monster as he did, but we couldn't. We were outnumbered and Caius could take us all out in a second.

"Get your hands off her!" Edwards yelled at him, hissing and cursing frantically. Caius ignored him and just smiled at Bella who was staying strong and wasn't even quivering.

"Well Bella you look exactly the same as I saw you last time. Except of course you're missing a hand. Now how did that happen?" He asked smugly. She didn't answer and continued to stare him down.

"It was very smart of you to block your family and the dogs from the influences of my crowd but I'd like you to take down your shield if you will." Oh no. This wasn't good. She couldn't do that, she just couldn't. Brianna would be able to take over everyone's mind. And that little, scary, vampire girl was here too that everyone is afraid of…Jane I think.

Bella looked over at Edward who was staring wide-eyed back at her and then to Carlisle. After a few seconds he nodded and Bella had taken down her shield. Was this really what it was coming too? We were just giving up? I waited to feel overtaken by the trance again but it never happened. I stared around in confusion as did everyone else.

"Brianna will no longer be using her gift on you. There is no point to that. Like I said I want you to be able to really enjoy what will be happening right in front of you momentarily." What was he talking about? What was going to happen?

"Felix, the necklace." My heart dropped. I felt in my pockets and then the terrifying realization hit me. These were Quil's shorts, mine had torn and that meant the necklace…

Felix was suddenly beside Caius with the diamond encrusted necklace in his hand. It was evidently something of importance and I was curious to see what the big fuss was all about. Caius took it in his hands and then smiled down like it was his pride and joy. Edward looked at him skeptically, not understanding what he was planning on doing with it.

"Ah…B.A.V…does anyone know what that stands for?" He asked everyone. No one said a word.

"It stands for Britain Against Vampires. A little club made in the 1800's to fight off vampires for those who believed in them. All were unsuccessful of course in defeating vampires once they found them and almost all of them died. Except one, who was the owner of this special necklace. This necklace is capable of extraordinary things."

Then out of nowhere Caius was leaning down towards me and Nessie.

"Put this around her neck." Caius said. I looked back and forth between the necklace and Nessie and then shook my head. Hell no, I was not about to let him do something to her with that evil piece of jewelry. No way.

"Maybe you didn't hear me; I said put the necklace on her dog." Caius said once more, practically spitting in my face. Glancing up at Edward, he debated for a second and then nodded. He would know if it was dangerous, he could read it in Caius's mind. Cautiously I took the necklace from him and then raised Nessie's frail body up into a sitting position on my lap.

I then wrapped the thick chain around her neck, my gaze never leaving her anxious eyes. Once it was clipped and laid across her chest, I waited for the worst, praying that whatever it was capable of, it didn't hurt her.

But nothing happened. She just sat there, looking normal. But then normal turned to a more healthy glow. Her coloring was coming back as she broke out into a wide grin, the one I loved.

"Nessie? Nessie are you okay?" I asked and she leaped off my lap and sprung up, looking as happy as ever.

"Yeah I feel great. Better than great, wonderful! Wow!" She touched the necklace and beamed at everyone. I was so confused. Does the necklace have the ability to cure people? And if so why had Caius given it to Nessie?"

"Nessie sweetheart, are you sure your okay?" Bella asked now holding her daughter tightly in her arms and rubbing her face.

"Mom I've never felt better!" Bella spun her around and looked at her back. The puncture was gone as was the blood. It was as if it never happened.

Bella released her a bit and I took advantage of the moment and grabbed her in my arms, taking her face in my hands. Caius came over and ripped the necklace from her throat and appeared disgusted in our affection. Nessie was taken aback but apparently still felt great and leaned her head towards mine. Our lips touched softly and I didn't care that everyone could see. I needed to stay with her, I never wanted to let go…

Then my arms felt cold and empty, she was gone. Looking to my left, panic struck me as I processed what had just happened. Cries of anger and fear rang out as Nessie was being dragged by her hair towards the middle of the clearing. I screamed her name and was about to race after them but suddenly the large group of vampires was walking towards us, surrounding everyone. Closing in us, they were blocking my view of Nessie. My heart racing I attempted to find a way through as was all the Cullen's and my brothers.

"No! Nessie! Edward they have her! No Nessie!" Bella cried as she clung onto Edward's arm. He frantically searched for a way around the forthcoming vampires but it was impossible.

"Caius! Let her go! Carlisle what are we going to do?" Edward yelled. But Carlisle along with Esme, Alice, and Rosalie were having their arms held behind them by several vampires and they couldn't escape. Then I felt a pair of arms hold mine back and I wrestled them to the floor. Then another set of arms grabbed my shoulders and held me back. Edward and Bella had been captured too, along with my brothers, who were being half-strangled by their necks. The vampires were having trouble dealing with the scent and at some points lost hold, but eventually they fought through it.

This could not be happening. We couldn't lose like this. Nessie needed us! Everyone struggled to break free with Edward, Emmett, and Jasper needing two vampires to stop them.

"Caius! If you hurt her I swear to God…!" I called out but his only response was a chuckle. After about a minute of intense struggle and curses being yelled, everyone came to the realization that we weren't breaking free. Staring out into the clearing, the only ones there were Brianna, Caius, Jane and Nessie, who was kneeling on the ground. I didn't know what he was planning but clearly Edward did since he began shouting curses and threatening Caius. But he was ignored as Brianna wrapped the necklace around her own throat and smirked at Nessie, who didn't look so great anymore. Jane walked off to the side as Caius made his way over towards us, pleased with himself.

"I suppose in order for this to have its full effect that I'm hoping for, you should get an explanation of what is going on. The necklace is able to give whoever wears it, indestructibility. They cannot be defeated and to try to do so would be pointless. I gave it to Nessie so that she wouldn't be laying on the ground the entire fight. It wouldn't be as entertaining trust me. Now that she's feeling better she can try and fight Brianna who will be wearing the necklace and you can watch her fail miserably. Relax and enjoy." He said and walked off a little farther away from us, as to not be attacked I'm sure. My blood was boiling inside of me. I couldn't believe Nessie was out there about to be killed and I couldn't do anything about it…No…there has to be a way…there just has to be…

Bella's sobbing was loud as was Rosalie's, Alice's, and Esme's. Edward continued to try and break free but it wasn't working. I couldn't waste my energy just yet; I had to think of a plan. Just then I noticed Nessie stand up and begin to back away from Brianna. The fear in her eyes made me shake. I couldn't hold myself together. Then all of a sudden Nessie was laying flat on the ground; Brianna had just knocked her down that quickly. My stomach felt like it had got kicked very hard and I couldn't breathe.

"Nessie! No! Get up Nessie!" I yelled as did some of the others. My brothers were growling ferociously as Brianna stared down at her still smiling. Then she lifted Nessie off the ground with her one hand and held her out in front of her. Nessie struggled to break free but couldn't. Then she went flying into a tree. My body trembled as I tried to drone out Edward hissing and the growls and the crying…it was too much. This couldn't end like this, it just couldn't. Nessie's scream then rang through the air as Brianna kicked her hard in the ribs and slammed her tiny body into the ground once more. The dizziness, the red hue that was covering everything….everything was tilting and I felt myself unable to hold it together anymore. I knew even if I transformed, I still couldn't escape. But I was so close…

"Grab the necklace! Nessie grab the necklace!" Alice screamed at her suddenly. Yes! That was exactly what needed to happen for this to turn around, Nessie needed the necklace. Brianna kicked Nessie onto her stomach and paced in a circle around her, very amused with this as was Caius.

"Nessie, the necklace!" I yelled at her. She looked up slightly, her face bruised and her body weak. I needed to help, I needed to help her!

Then an extremely loud growl broke out and I looked over, it was Sam. He was looking at Edward who had suddenly stopped struggling and was meeting his gaze. His face calmed down and went from pain to determination. He then looked over at me and leaned in close.

"When I say go, change." I looked at him in confusion and he nodded. When he said go, he wanted me to change…I'm assuming into my wolf form. I prepared myself, trying to figure out what they were planning. My brothers weren't fighting any longer either and just stood on four legs, facing forward. The vampires holding us back looked a bit uneasy but none of them said anything.

Whatever they were planning, it needed to work and soon because I couldn't bear to look any longer at Nessie limp body being thrown around. My anger was getting worse by the second as I waited for Edward to tell me to go. Looking over at him, he was staring at the pack. Then Nessie's scream, the loudest one, filled the air and right at that moment Sam nodded.

"Go!" I let the anger and pain take hold of me and suddenly the vampire who were holding my arms let go and fell back. Then looking to my left, Sam and the rest of the pack all took a big bite out of their holders arms who responded by letting go. My brothers then took advantage if their moment of delay and attacked. The vampires holding the Cullen's back then lost focus and Edward along with Emmett and Jasper were able to break free. I knew this was the opportunity I was waiting for.

Lunging forward as fast as I could I aimed right for Brianna's throat who had looked up and taken notice of me coming for her. I just needed to get that necklace…

Then what felt like a brick wall, slammed into me and I was on the ground. Felix was back and I was in no mood to deal with him. Shoving him off me I looked over at where Nessie had been lying but she was gone. Frantically searching the area, I tried to figure out where she went but I didn't find her before Felix grabbed me by the legs again and slammed me into the ground. I tried to stand but he wasn't giving up on me, he was going to torture me until I died. Hovering above me he grabbed my throat and was about to lift me up when suddenly he flew off to the side. Standing in his place was Nessie, smiling, with the necklace on.


	29. Chapter 29

Nessie

Even as Brianna kicked me to the ground, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Relief that my family wasn't dead, or well, dead in the sense that they weren't ripped to pieces and burned. I shivered as I looked up at the night sky, preparing my body for the next painful blow I was about to get in about three seconds. Brianna had won, clearly, but I couldn't help thinking that things could have turned out worse. If they had made me watch Jacob or anyone in my family get killed, I could have never handled it. In a way I feel like I got the better end of the deal. Sure I was about to die, but I was able to see Jacob again; I was able to see my family and even if I didn't survive to see them get out of this, I knew they would. There was no possible way they would give up, my family doesn't do that. The eight of them together plus Jake and the wolf pack makes one very intelligent set of minds. They wouldn't die like this, they just couldn't.

I, however, could feel myself becoming weaker and weaker with every shove, kick, and punch. I felt my body soar in the air and into a tree, but I didn't react. I continued to lie on the ground, not making any noise. She was strong; I had to give her that, especially with that necklace on. I didn't stand a chance. Instead of paying attention to immense amount of pain I was in, I tried to think about Jacob, and how much I would miss him. I couldn't believe that everything had worked out like this. What had I been thinking, trying to convince Jacob that I didn't love him and instead going for Corey? Why would I cause myself and him all that pain? It seemed so childish looking back now. If only I could go to the past, and prevent that from happening. While I'm back there I should probably also prevent this whole scheme from taking place.

Suddenly, what felt like getting hit by a train, knocked me hard to the ground and I let out a scream for the first time. That had been much worse than all the other hits. It was clear she was starting to get frustrated that I wasn't dead yet; she was going to finish me off real soon. I laid there in pain, trying not to cry; I didn't want her to see me being weak. But my chest was throbbing and I was pretty sure several of my ribs were broken. It hurt to breathe deeply so I stuck to shallow, quick breathes while praying that death would come soon.

Alice's voice echoed in the air but I didn't have time to notice because Brianna had just kicked my ribs in even further. I let out a grunt and rolled onto my stomach, exposing only my back to her now. Then I heard Jacob screaming at me, saying something about the necklace…

I lifted up my head slightly and understood suddenly what he was trying to say. I needed the necklace, clearly, but how was I supposed to get it, I could barely move. Someone growled loudly and then everything went quiet. The wolves all settled down and my father was staring nervously ahead at me, almost as if he was trying to give me assurance that everything was going to be okay. But it wasn't. There was no possible way I could get this necklace.

All of a sudden I noticed Brianna in the corner of my eye, with a gaze of pure hatred and determination. This was it; she was going to finish me off right here. She stood in front of me, and shoved my body to lie on my back. She spread her legs on either side of mine and then quicker then I was prepared for, she slammed all her weight and strength onto my two legs, breaking them both in a split second. I couldn't hold it in, I screamed long and hard, letting all the air in my lungs out and not caring that she saw me being weak. My body was throbbing and now I couldn't move my legs. Every inch of me ached. I barely noticed the sound of cries and growls coming from across the way, and kept my eyes shut, waiting for that one last hit that would do me in.

Then the growling was getting louder, and slowly I opened my eyes to see Jacob in his wolf form, running full speed towards Brianna, who stood there in shock. Yes! This wasn't it, it wasn't over yet! He was almost there, when out of nowhere Felix slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. No! This couldn't end like this, it just couldn't. I realized then that I wasn't ready to die; I wasn't willing to let them win this, to let Brianna succeed in killing me and everyone I loved.

I decided to take control of the situation. While Brianna remained standing there, still stunned, I took what mere energy I had left and lifted my arms, grabbing her ankle, and biting it hard. She screamed and looked down but before she was able to do anything, I yanked her to the floor and used my elbows to jump on top of her, tearing the necklace from her throat. She was still in a state of confusion and surprise to even put up a fight to prevent me from taking it, which was what I was counting on.

As I clasped on the necklace, Brianna had become aware of what just happened and wrapped her hands around my throat, knocking me to the ground. But fortunately, the necklace's power worked within a few seconds and I felt better in moments. I then kicked her off, sending her flying into a tree. My strength had returned and I felt absolutely amazing, invincible couldn't even describe it.

Turning around, I saw Felix on top of Jacob and all my anger had come back. He was preparing to lift Jacob up when I put all my power into a hard punch, knocking him to the ground causing him to release Jacob. I stood there smiling at the wolf who had tried to save me and he instantly returned a grin. The relief was easily read on his face and I couldn't resist hugging him. Wrapping my arms around his warm, fur body, I held him tightly, feeling safer than ever. He then licked my cheek which I took as a sign of thank you.

Before I could say anything, though, his head jolted to his left and that's when I took in what was happening. My family and the wolf pack were all mixed together fighting the other vampires. I watched Jane fight against Alice who didn't seem to having too much trouble pushing her around. With my mother blocking her gift, she wasn't really all that threatening. My father was fighting two vampires at once, moving right in time for them to miss him and my mother appeared to be close to finishing off a female vampire who had already lost an arm. However, as I scanned the area, I couldn't find Caius. Where did he go? I began walking towards them, planning on killing anyone who got in my way and at the same time looking out for Caius. But then Jacob stepped in front of me and shook his head. Was he forgetting that I had the necklace on? I couldn't lose!

I pointed to my neck but he still wouldn't move and instead began nudging me in the opposite direction. Why was he doing this? They needed my help! But as he nudged me farther and farther from the fight, I realized who he was actually pushing me towards. Turning around, there was Brianna, looking flabbergasted and a little bit afraid. Jake wanted me to take care of her, which I thought was a smart idea. Then I remembered Felix and turned to watch Jacob trudging towards the giant vampire, who looked ready to fight.

First I would deal with Brianna quickly, and then I would help Jacob. Brianna's face was getting more and more concerned as I slowly made my way towards her. She began to back up towards the trees, but I wasn't planning on letting her get too far. I wanted to end this here and now, no fooling around. I ran at her and before she had time to get very far, I had knocked her down and was now holding her against a tree by her neck. I had never been one for violence and never thought in a million years that I would be capable of killing someone, but I would make an exception for her. After all she did try to kill me and my family several times so it's safe to say she deserves it. The longer I debated, the weaker I would look; I needed to do this now. I pulled all my strength into my arms as I placed my hands on her face, preparing to rip her head off. It sounded gruesome but I could do it, I could kill a vampire who deserved it…

"No Nessie don't!" I heard being yelled across the clearing. I turned my head around, frustrated with whoever it was interrupting my plan. It was mother, of course. She raced towards me, having finished off the other vampire.

"Mom, what are you…"

"You can't kill her."

"Why not! She tried to kill me! She deserves it, she…"

"I'm not disagreeing Nessie but I can't let you do this. I won't have my daughter become a murderer."

"But mom…"

"Let me do it."

"What?"

"I've already killed someone, I'm already a murderer. You aren't and I'll be damned if I let you become one."

I didn't know what to say. Sure, I wanted to kill Brianna so badly, but my mom had a point. I didn't want to be responsible for ending a life, even if it is Brianna's. I just wanted her dead. Nodding, I backed away and was about to go help Jacob when suddenly Brianna shoved me to the ground and kicked my mother right in the chest sending her flying backwards into the middle of the clearing. Anger filled me once more, but before I could attack Brianna, my mother stood up and put her hand out in a motion to signal me to stop. As if she could handle it. But I wasn't so sure anymore.

They circled each other and I noticed that across the way, my family was still hard at work kicking some vampire butt. A fire had been made but every one of them was still preoccupied fighting someone. I hadn't realized how outnumbered we had actually been. Focusing back on my mother now, I watched as she threw Brianna to the ground and wrestled with her, yanking back her arm, nearly breaking it off. Do it, I thought. That's when I noticed she was doing this all one handed. I swallowed back the bile that had come up and tried to shake the image from my head. It had been her hand that had been ripped off. The hand that was still sitting on my living room floor. How could she expect to win a fight one handed? I wanted to intervene but she seemed to be handling herself pretty well. Then to my left I heard a howl and remembered that Jacob needed my help. He and Felix looked to be even. Both appeared wearied out but neither would back down. I then took initiative and ran up to Felix, jumping on his back and yanking at his head. He reached behind, trying to throw me off, but I wouldn't budge. Then Jacob ran into his chest, knocking him over as I jumped off. We were about to kill him when a shrill scream pierced the air.

To my relief it was Brianna's scream as my mother held her broken off leg in her one hand. Then she tore off the other one, causing Brianna to scream once more in pain. I didn't feel one bit remorseful about it either; I felt almost happy that she had gotten what she deserved. It was a bit masochistic but I couldn't help it. Then Felix stood up slowly, backing away towards the woods. He wasn't going to get away that quickly. Jake and I chased after him but before we could take care of him ourselves, Emmett had run right into him, holding him down on the ground and he cursed and tried to get up.

"Not so tough now are you?" Emmett jeered, clearly enjoying this. I couldn't help but giggle at his excitement. Off to the side, my mother was taking parts of Brianna's body and placing them into the fire. Walking over, I realized that my mother had killed Brianna. She was finally dead. I couldn't believe it, but we had actually won. We actually…

"Bella watch out!" I looked over at Rosalie who had finished taking apart that Sarah girl and had noticed him arrive before anyone else. Caius appeared out of nowhere and was now dragging my mother away, looking around at the scene in fear and frustration. He held her tightly, wrapping his long fingers around her throat. My heart dropped as dread took over. Everyone had stopped what they were doing. No one else was fighting since my family and the wolves had killed most of the vampires, while the other were missing several body parts. All the focus was on Caius now, who had my mother at his disposal. My father's face was furious as he stalked towards him, yelling curses and threats.

"Come any closer Edward and your wife's pretty head will no longer be attached to her body, understand?" Caius threatened and this caused my father to halt.

Caius then turned towards me. It was then that I really got to see how afraid he actually was. His hair wasn't as sleek as usually and there was something wild about his eyes that told me he knew he had lost but wasn't ready to face it. Staring me down, he motioned me to come closer. I listened, in fear for my mother's life. I had no doubt that in a second he would be able to kill her so I wasn't going to risk that.

"Give me the necklace." He said quietly, enunciating each syllable. I wasn't sure what to do, if he got it, then he couldn't lose, no matter how many vampires and wolves attacked him. I glanced over at my father who looked unsure of what to do. Then after ten long seconds he nodded his head and I listened. Taking off the necklace I placed it into his hands, already feeling the effects of not having it any longer. Caius smiled down at it, but didn't put it on right away, which surprised me. He then shoved my mother to the ground and just continued to stare, almost as if marveling at its beauty.

It was at that moment that I realized not everyone was dead who I thought had been. Jane walked slowly towards her master, still reattaching an arm. Emmett and Jacob were still holding down Felix, who continued to try and break their grip. One other vampire who although looked a mess, was still alive and also stood beside Caius.

I wasn't sure what we were supposed to do now, if he tried to attack us, with the necklace on he couldn't lose. Caius then wrapped the chain around his neck, smiling once it was clasped. While doing this I noticed Alice skip over to us, grinning about something, but I couldn't imagine what would be so funny right now. She came to a stop in front of Caius.

"We have some company." She said blatantly and then smiled at my dad. He then too smiled over at Caius, whose face had suddenly become stern. Looking over his shoulder, out of the darkness emerged two dark haired, pale vampires, and several others who looked familiar. I knew right away it was Aro and Marcus, and according to Alice's grin which was still intact along with my fathers, I assumed that it was a good thing they were here.

By this time my entire family had huddled around us, while the wolf pack, not including Jacob, backed away into the woods.

"Carlisle, nice to see you again. Edward, Bella, Nessie. It's been too long." Aro said, smiling at us all, staring at me more than the others.

"I can't believe how big you've gotten Nessie. Seven years and you turn into a beautiful young lady. I don't know if you remember me but…"

"I do." I told him and he appeared surprised.

"Really? Impressive. I guess I made a greater impact last time than I thought. My apologies." He then turned towards Caius and his expression instantly changed from chagrin to anger. He placed his hand on Caius's shoulder and held out his hand. Caius then took off the necklace and gave it to Aro, looked ashamed and embarrassed. Jane stood there looking as mortified as him, and also a little fearful of what Aro might say to her.

Aro shook his head at all of them and said, "It's really a shame you decided to do this Caius. Not only have you embarrassed yourself but you've embarrassed Marcus and I as well. Clearly, Nessie is not dangerous to our kind in any way and as much as I've tried to convince you of this, you felt it was necessary to come here and stir up trouble. I will never understand. My great and sincere apologies Carlisle, Edward, Bella, and of course Nessie. And to the entire Cullen family. I can assure you I had no idea he was planning something so foolish. If I had known I would have been here sooner and prevented all of this. Can you ever forgive me?"

My dad didn't appear too happy but he, my mother, and Carlisle nodded. Then he turned to me. I honestly knew that no matter how much pain and anguish that this has caused me, I would nod my head. It was all over and that's all that matters, so I nodded once but gave him no satisfaction that I meant it. He saw that too and nodded his head. Then he looked over at Emmett and Jacob who still had Felix pinned down.

"Do you mind releasing Felix? I'll take care of him myself do not worry." They both looked at one another and then nodded, letting him go. Felix jumped to his feet and stood up in Emmett's face but Aro cleared his throat, forcing Felix to have no choice but to walk away.

"Once again I am so very sorry for Caius's behavior along with the others and I will find a way to earn your forgiveness Nessie I promise you that." I didn't believe him but gave him a weak smile in return and watched them depart into the forest.

For the first time I took a deep breath, taking in everything that had just happened. Everyone was okay; it was all over. A smile broke out as my mother hugged me tightly and then my entire family joined in. I had never felt so loved and so relieved in my life. Tears ran down my cheeks as I looked around at the damage which was luckily all on their side. Then as my family released me, I spun around towards Jacob who was still in wolf form. He grinned at me, flashing his teeth as I made my way over and hugged him tightly. I wanted him to be back in his human form, but seeing that he didn't have any pants…

Right then a wolf walked towards us, carrying a pair of shorts in his mouth. It was Seth who smiled at me and then retreated back into the woods with his brothers. Turning around I heard Jacob phase and then felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I spun around and was greeted with Jacob's lips pressed firmly against mine. I didn't care that my family could see; I had never wanted to be with him more in my life. He released me slightly and I smiled, letting my fingers run across his face and chest as he brushed my hair back.

"I love you." He said, leaning his forehead against mine.

"I love you more." I said back, and I knew right then that being with him was all that mattered.

Hey everyone, there is still one more chapter to this story left and then I'm planning on writing a "The Trouble With Love" 2 so look out for that. It will focus more on their relationship and some high school drama and perhaps the return of some other vampires as well. Hope you enjoyed!


	30. Chapter 30

Nessie

As I rested my head on Jake's lap, he brushed his fingers through my hair, every now and then kissing my forehead. Eyes closed, I listened to my family discuss what had just happened. We were back in the house, sitting in a circle around the living room. The house was back to its original beauty apart from some kitchen appliances that needed replacing and it looked as if no fighting had actually occurred.

The necklace's power had clearly worn off as I no longer felt an ounce of energy left in me. But I couldn't sleep, not yet. There were too many questions still lingering in my mind that needed to be answered. Luckily, my family seemed to be curious about the same things so all I needed to do was listen.

"Man I actually thought we were going to be able to kill those Volturi scum. We were so close." Emmett grumbled. I felt myself already begin to drift off so I decided to try and keep my eyes open in order to prevent that. Emmett had taken a seat across from Jake and I on the couch, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his legs and appearing frustrated.

Rosalie sat herself next to him, rubbing his back with a small smile on her lips. Alice was seated next to them as Jasper stood behind her, his hand massaging her shoulder. Esme sat on the love seat as my father sat on its arm, looking on edge. I lifted my head up more to try and find my mother and Carlisle but I couldn't see where they had gone.

"You okay?" Jacob whispered.

"Where's my mom and Carlisle?"

"Oh …Carlisle's putting her…her hand back on." Jacob said quietly and then my father made a grunting sound as if he was in a lot of pain. Esme rubbed his back, trying to calm him down. I had completely forgotten that my mother's hand was ripped off. I felt lightheaded again and tried to block the image from my head. I wanted to be angry at whoever had done that but it was one of the wolves, and it was in no way their fault. Brianna was behind most of it, along with Corey and that Sarah girl and of course part of the Volturi. I was still so baffled by the fact that someone would go to all this trouble just to kill me. As if I had done something wrong.

"We have to get him back. Caius and Jane and Felix and…" Emmett began.

"No Emmett. There's no reason to start something with them, it's over. We don't want to give them any more reason to come back here." Said Alice.

"Agreed. They've caused enough trouble. Besides Aro will take care of them." Rosalie chimed in.

"What I'm interested in knowing is how Caius was able to pull this off without Aro or Marcus knowing." Jasper said, looking around. No one seemed to know the answer.

"They weren't on speaking terms. And with Jane and Felix and the other members in on it I'm sure that wasn't too difficult." My father said without lifting his head.

"How'd you know that?" Jake asked and my father's only response was pointing to his head.

"Oh yeah…mind reader."

"He was thinking about that a lot while we were fighting. He was fearful that Aro had found out and was somewhat expecting his arrival. I suppose he thought things would go a lot smoother and that it would be too late by the time he arrived."

"I can't believe he was that determined to kill Nessie." Rosalie said, staring at me.

"I can. He's crazy, we've always known that. It was only a matter of time till he got sick of being under Aro's rule and take action on his own. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner." Jasper replied.

"He had to wait till Nessie was in high school in order for it to work. Brianna was an essential part to his plan along with Corey…" My father said, thinking hard about something.

"What is it Edward?" Jake asked.

"It just frustrates me how I didn't see the pieces come together before now. Corey was involved the whole time and I just thought he was some stupid teenager…I let him go. We had him and I let him go…" It was clear he was extremely angry at himself but it wasn't his fault. He couldn't help it that Corey was able to alter my family's gifts and allow him and Brianna to blend in. How could he possibly have known what Corey was capable of? But before I could defend him, Jacob cut in.

"How did he do that anyway? I mean couldn't you read his mind and see what he was?"

My father shook his head. "No, just as Brianna was gifted, so was Corey. He was able to alter gifts and prevent Alice and I from seeing the truth. I couldn't see any thoughts other than what he wanted me to see. Then he was able to block Alice's visions when they would reveal something. But that's no excuse…I should have known something was wrong with him. He and Brianna had thoughts that just didn't fit with their personality at times…it was so obvious…" He clenched his fists extremely tight. I hated seeing him blame himself.

"Dad, this isn't your fault. It's no one's fault but Caius and Brianna and Corey and Sarah…"

"Who's Sarah?" Jasper asked.

"Oh I think she was the vampire I was fighting." Rosalie said and she was right. I remembered seeing Rosalie tearing her apart.

"She had the gift of changing memories so that Brianna and Corey could adapt into the school and everyone would remember them as their old friends. She was also used as decoy for the wolves…" My father said, clearly getting a lot more information than I had thought out of their minds.

"Wait so she was the girl my brothers found the other day in the woods…we thought she was attacked…" Jake said, musing over this new detail.

"Huh, geeze, they really went all out for this." He said after a minute of thought.

"And what was with that necklace? Britain against vampires? Seriously? Sounds like some stupid made up club to me." Emmett scoffed.

Jasper shrugged and being the big history buff it didn't surprise me that he had heard of them.

"No it was real. They were a small group of people who thought they could kill vampires…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then all failed except one, great, but what does that have to do with the necklace being all powerful and how did Caius get it?" Emmett asked.

"Clearly the necklace was what helped the one survivor of this group remain alive while fighting vampires and perhaps he was able to pass it on to his family. For all we know he's related to the Volturi or one of its members. Regardless, it's still in the hands of Aro now and I don't think that's a good thing."

"Definitely not."

"Aro won't use of against any of us. He wouldn't want to start more trouble." Alice said.

"She's right he'll stay away. I just hope…" My father started to say but then his head sprung up as he spun towards the stairs, relief settling over him.

My mother was walking down the steps with Carlisle trailing behind her. She ginned widely at my father and then at me, her hand attached to her wrist now. I also felt relief spread through me as she appeared to be perfectly fine now. She half walked, half ran into my father's arms as they kissed and I decided to close my eyes at this moment and pretend they weren't doing this in front of everyone. Not that I hadn't just been doing that with Jake back in the woods but it still creeped me out.

My mother then walked over to me and wrapped her arms around mine, holding me close and weeping tearlessly.

"Oh Nessie, I'm so sorry…"

"Mom, stop please."

"I know, I know, it's just…it's just…if I lost you…" She continued to sob as my father and everyone else tried to get her to relax. Trying to change the subject, I attempted to discuss her hand, but she just shrugged it off.

Then there was a knock on the door, everyone stood frozen, the tension was palpable as we all sat there wondering who would be at the door at this hour. Then my dad stood up, and to my relief he appeared relaxed as he opened the door. There in opening was Sam and behind him, from what I could see were several of the wolf pack in human form.

"Edward." Sam said, nodding. His nose was scrunched up as were the other's as my father invited them inside. Surprisingly they agreed and began filing in the house. I couldn't believe what I was seeing but more and more of them kept appearing as I realized that the entire pack was here, not just a few of them. My entire family was in a state of shock as Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper wrinkled their noses up, looking displeased to have wolves in their home, while Alice, Carlisle, Esme, and my mother walked forward to greet them.

To make things stranger, Leah was present, and although she didn't looked the least bit pleased to be there standing in a vampires foyer, she remained still.

I then decided I wanted a closer look and stood up with the support of Jacob and made my way over. Even Jake was in shock as he took in all of his brothers standing there very out of place.

Esme on the other hand, smiled kindly, seeming very thrilled to have new company in her home as Carlisle stood behind her, also grinning.

"Excuse us for the intrusion, this won't take long. My brothers and I…"

Then a growl came from the far left side and I realized it was from Leah. Sam took a deep breath and then continued.

"My brothers and Leah would like to apologize for ruining your home. We would have never attacked under our own free will."

"Oh we don't blame you in the least really. We know what happened." Esme said, still smiling warmly.

"Yes, there's no harm done. We are well aware that you had no control over your actions." Carlisle added in.

"Thank you for your understanding. And I see that you were able to get your hand reattached Bella, once again, terribly sorry." Sam said, side glancing at what looked like Paul, and then smiling sympathetically at my mother. She returned the smile and then nodded.

"Like Carlisle said no harm done. How's Emily?"

Sam's smile faltered a bit.

"She's alright, I'm having a doctor look at her now, she was hit pretty hard on the head but he thinks she should be okay."

"If you want I could take a look at her." Carlisle offered. If I were Sam I would definitely agree to that, just to be on the safe side. You could never go wrong with Carlisle.

Sam nodded, "Thank you that would be really appreciated."

"Sam…Sam can we _please _go now…I can't stand here any longer…" I heard Colin mutter and it was obvious the smell was really torturing all of them except Seth who stood there smile as always.

Sam growled back at him and then seeing their pain nodded for them to leave. They practically sprinted out of the house leaving only him and Seth.

"I heard I got in a bit of a brawl with you Jake. Sorry about that." Seth said, looking disappointed in himself.

"Don't sweat it kid." Jake replied back.

Then he, Sam, and Carlisle walked out the door leaving us with the lingering smell of werewolf which I didn't really mind at all, but clearly some members of my family did. Rosalie held her nose as she raced from the room, followed by Emmett. Jasper walked, not as quickly, but still with some eagerness to the next room as Alice skipped behind him.

Esme gave me a hug and then retreated to her bedroom, probably going to order some new appliances, leaving my mother, my father, Jake, and I alone.

Taking a deep breath my father turned towards us, eyeing Jake's arms around mine.

"Oh come on dad, don't start back with this over protectiveness again."

"I didn't say a word."

"Yeah but your eyes say it all. Come on Jake let's go hunting."

"Absolutely not. You're not leaving my sight for another month." My mother said. She better be joking.

"Mom, please, I'm with Jacob relax. It's all over, everything is fine." She looked warily between Jake and I and then back at my dad who then whispered something in her ear. Her reaction of giggles and a coy smile made me really not want to know what he had just said.

"Go hunting, we'll be in the cottage if you need us." Oh gosh, I don't even want to know.

My mother still looked concerned but my dad eventually dragged her off and Jake and I were left alone.

"You wanna race?" He asked, smiling down at me.

"I'm exhausted, can you just carry me?" I said, pouting. It worked. He rolled his eyes and lifted me into his arms, carrying me quickly out the door and through the woods.

We didn't go far as he sat me down by a tree and then wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You didn't really want to go hunting did you?" He asked me and of course he was right on point. I was more tired than anything and food was the last thing on my mind. But I wanted to be with Jacob alone. All the drama from the last couple weeks just faded away as I rested my head against his warm chest. He rubbed my back and kissed my hair.

"It all seems like it was just a dream. A really terrible dream you know?" He nodded in response, holding me closer. Then I felt his breathing get a bit uneven.

"You okay Jake?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

He took a deep breath then pulled my face up so that he could see me.

"No. No I'm not fine, not at all. Nessie…if I had lost you…I…" I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want to see him in pain. I placed my finger on his lips but he continued to gaze sadly into my eyes.

"Jacob please. I'm here, you're here. Everything's okay. It's all over. Let's not talk about it. Can't we just pretend it was a dream? That it was just some stupid nightmare and start back where we left off?"

"It doesn't work that way Nessie. Seeing you hurt and in so much pain…as much as I try to get rid of those images they will never go away."

"Well I can help with that." I smiled up at him and aimed my lips towards his but to my great disappointment he backed up. I stared at him confused.

"What…"

"You said before…where we left off…"

He stood up and took a few steps towards the creek, gazing out in front of him. I didn't understand why he was so upset.

"Jake what's wrong? I don't understand."

"I'm a terrible boyfriend."

"What? No you aren't you're wonderful. What are talking about?"

He looked over at me with pained eyes.

"Don't you remember where we left off Nessie? What happened before everything started to get crazy."

I thought it over and then I remembered. He was referring to the fact that he and my mother had kissed I was sure.

"Oh Jacob I don't care about that anymore. I told you I just want to put the past in the past." I reached up and placed my hand on his cheek.

"I don't care that you kissed my mom or that you were once in love with her. You're in love with me now right?" I asked, grinning at him and he returned a weak smile in response.

"Yeah. You have no idea how much I love you. I know I've said this many times but Nessie you know I would do anything for you. Anything at all." He said, taking my hands in his.

"I know that Jake. And I would do anything for you. So let's just start over."

He smiled and chuckled lightly, his mood seeming to improve.

"Okay let's start over, I'm Jacob Black. And you are?"

I giggled, lightly hitting him in the chest.

"You know what I mean. Not that far back."

"Okay. Hmm…well how about I start off with this. I love you. You are my entire life and I am making a promise to you that from now on nothing will ever harm you. I will keep this promise, I swear to you Nessie." He gazed deeply into my eyes and I believed him.

"I love you too Jake." That was all I could manage to get out. He grinned and then pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest and then kissing me passionately. The feel of his lips on mine was truly heaven and I could have done this for hours. The passion was rising and I could feel my body melt into his…

"Nessie." I froze as did Jake. We continued to hold each other but Jake's body suddenly got very tense. He stared into my eyes in shock and I was too afraid to even turn my head. I didn't want to see who was standing to the side of us; I wanted to pretend that they hadn't spoken. But as the chills ran down my spine and as I stared into Jake's alarmed face, I had to turn and see.

Slowly we both turned our heads to the side, taking a look at the figure that stood before us, the scent of blood filling the air.

"Help me."

Sorry I had to end it with a cliff hanger but it's just so much better that way! Anyway this was the last chapter of The Trouble With Love, but I will be writing a sequel. Not really sure when that will start because exams are coming up and I'm going to be really stressed so expect the first chapter to start mid December when I am off for winter break. Like I said before, more focus on Jacob and Nessie's relationship but still some action and drama. Thanks so much for everyone who has read this, I really appreciate the reviews and feedback! Hope you liked it and once again look out for The Trouble With Love 2. Bye guys!


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